Getting Back Together
by LadyMarissaGarmadon
Summary: Finally everyone is together & happy again... well, sort of. Everything starts becoming a little crazy when the ninja start building the monastery and school, not to mention Garmdon has to put up with a whole new set of emotions after eight years. Maybe taking care of fourteen homeless kids will help fix that. Of course Lloyd and Misako will be there every step for him.
1. Chapter 1

"Morning…"

Misako groggily opened one emerald eye to see a blurry pair of indigo colored ones looking back at her. She yawned, scratching the top of her head. "Hmm… what time is it?"

"Five thirty…"

"What?" she turned her head again, "Why are you up this early?" wiping the sleep from her eyes. "Better yet why did you wake me up this earlier?"

Garmadon plopped his head on his wife's pillow, wanting to be closer to her, "Because you obviously forgot what today is…" he moved loose strands of gray hair from in front of her green eyes.

"What are you talking about?" she yawned again, wiping her eyes again. "It's not our anniversary or anything because that's in May…"

After all the drama that had gone down the week prior, saving Ninjago and all, she wanted nothing but sleep, just like the boys and Nya. It was a surprise to everyone how much they needed to decompress. "I wasn't planning on getting up till noon," she flipped over on her stomach, mattress springs creaking under her weight.

"Don't tell me you've forgotten about meeting the real estate agent with the others?" he played with her long, wavy hair, having to remind her of the appointment that _she _set the other day when everyone was talking about their newest idea in becoming teachers.

She quickly lifted her head, "Oh my gosh you're right, we're meeting her before eight…" Misako seemed more awake now as she tried to climb out of bed. Her husband caught her hand and pulled her back on her bottom abruptly.

"Be honest before we jump into anything okay?" he started, holding her hand still. "Do you really stay together or are you just doing this to try and make me happy?" She raised a curious eyebrow. He leaned on his elbow to keep him up, "because… there's no sense in going and buying that property if you don't want to live with me again… I know I'm probably the worst person alive-"

She cut him off when she bent her head down to kiss him. "You know I want to do this as much as you do…" she rubbed her nose against his. "Why would I go to lengths to save you if I didn't love you?" she laughed.

It eased his mind a little; after all, he just got use to sleeping with someone again, it felt nice to have a warm bed with her once more; if she turned him down he probably would just move out on his own and would hide away from the rest of the world and he wasn't really fond of the idea. "Hey…" he looked up, smiling again. "I really love you…" she kissed him again, making longer than the last one, tangling her hands through his shaggy bed head.

"If I recall…" she smiled, "The last time you woke me up this early resulted in Lloyd…" she giggled. "Wanna try and give him brother?" Garmadon looked away, blushing bright red, "Oh I'm kidding…" she laughed and kissed him again. "You know I wanted and boy _and _a girl!"

"Misako…" he looked away, chuckling a little. "You know it's not biologically possible now…"

She leaned against his shoulder, "I'm joking… You shouldn't be so shy about it either… it's only us…" she leaned her forehead against his.

"Yea well…" he coughed. "I was different… twelve years ago… you know I'm not up for a conversation about that…" he half smiled.

"Uh-huh…" her eyebrow twitched up ever so slightly. "So I take it you wouldn't mind if I got up to take a bath all by myself before we go out to meet the real estate agent I guess…" she swung her legs off the side of the bed and got up to grab a towel.

The former dark lord looked at his wife who was just teasing him now. He wanted to reside in the fact that they were just getting older and shouldn't waste time in sexual pleasure. Then he remembered the first night they slept together again. The memory made him blush even more. He wiped his face and sighed. "Damn it…"

He found her in the next room over quietly sitting in the warm bathwater a few minutes later, "Oh well look who caved in…" she rested her head back against the wall. "I wasn't trying to twist your arm you know… I didn't think you'd actually come in".

"I know…" he leaned forward kissed her and slipped his shirt off, back turned to her. Misako had almost forgotten how many tattoos he had that he just covered up nowadays; especially the black serpent dragon that took up most of his back. "What are you staring at?" he glanced over his shoulder, feeling her eyes on him.

She blinked and coughed, looking away when he sat down next to her. "I… just remember when you got each of these…" she traced the black ink of the lotus crest on his left shoulder, stretching out on top of him. "You've been covering them up now and… I guess I just forgot…" she leaned her head on his chest.

"You do know I regret any tattoos right?" he grumbled. "Or the piercing…" he looked away. Though he was going to be fifty-three, he was far too afraid to attempt at removing it.

She laughed again, "Aww," she pinched his cheek, teasing him still. "Don't you dare say that… I think it's… well, sexy…" she sat up more, laughing.

"Please don't say that," he laughed a little and ruffled her messy hair. "I am fifty-two years old; you don't have to call me that if you're trying to make me feel better about myself…"

She giggle "Come on… is that all you have to say? Nothing to flirt back with?" he frowned, "Oh you're no fun anymore," she gave a cheeky smile. He knew it was just a little awkward for her too but he gave her credit for at least trying again with him and trying to relieve any tension.

It was funny the roles changed a little; he use to be the one teasing her and telling her how attractive she was. Not that she still wasn't beautiful to him. In fact if it wasn't for her grayed hair she would look almost the same as when he left her.

She looked down and smiled as if she was reading his thoughts about her. "I almost forgot… I… know you probably won't like that I did it but… I got this after you left me…" she moved her hair off her back and neck. In neat script writing was his name on the nape of her neck and below it; Lloyd's name in violet and green ink.

"Why would you even get that?" he sighed, rubbing his thumb over it to see if she was just joking around. It didn't smudge so he assumed it was real.

"Because…" she looked down, "It was a promise… to myself that I wouldn't stop until we were a family again… did I fulfill that?" she laced her fingers through his under the water.

He made it look like he was thinking it over, "Well… it's a little cheesy, but I pretty sure you did a good job," he tightly hugged her from behind, kissing the nape of her neck where the tattoo was. "Now… about… why you tempted me to come in with you…" he mumbled as he slid his hand up her thigh making her squeal with giggles.

She turned around and both sealed their lips together as he ran his hand up her spine. She pushed him back and straddled him across the hips, mindlessly going through the motion.

"Hey, is someone in here? The other bathroom toilet was clogged no thanks to Jay!" Kai loudly knocked on the door, the echoes of the knock disrupting them. Garmadon then remembered he forgot to lock the door behind him. They looked at one another, hoping if they were quiet, they would leave.

"I said I was sorry!" the blue ninja shouted back from the other side of the door. Finally the doorknob was twisted and Kai was the first one in the doorway.

"KAI!" they both shouted, sinking more into the water and bubbles with red cheeks, abandoning what they were starting immediately.

The red ninja quickly slammed the door, face as red as his pajamas. "SORRY!"

"Oh I'm gonna kill him…" Garmadon said under his breath. "I'm gonna kill them all…"

The couple could hear the laugher from the other ninja because of Kai's terrified reaction. "So much for the peace…" Misako sighed with a bit of a smile. _"Maybe this will take some getting used to after all…"_

**This one has been in the works for a little over a month but I kept hating how I had the chapters flow... then I though "DUH! Why not just do a bunch of stuff similar to Simple Things?" so here...**

**I figure to just start getting this story out of the way as well... so prepare for some cute awkwardness between Garmadon and Misako, sex jokes with the ninja and Lloyd(because he is an innocent twelve year old), and dumb fluff for everyone OuO **

**Thanks for reading and I hope you'll like this as much as Simple Things! :D**

**~Mar**


	2. Chapter 2

Nya stood on top of the small cliff where the river dumped out as a cascading waterfall into the large lake. It was a beautiful day for early spring and if everything went well, they'd have two new plots of land for setting up the schools everyone wanted to start up.

"It's so amazing here…" she looked back at her brother and friends. "I hope Garmadon and Misako buy this place!" She inhaled a breath of fresh air. It was nice to get away from the city air. They had helped start to clear the rubble, but someone new, a man named Cyrus Borg, started taking over the project, leaving the ninja to carry out their own personal plans.

Lloyd nodded and looked down at the lake edge where he could make out the figures of his parents and uncle talking to the woman who was ready to sell the land deed. He smiled seeing his parents standing next to each other; happy they were back together, it made him feel bit better about all they had went through.

"I can't believe we have both pieces of land," Misako smiled. "You bought the old condemned Darkly building and we… have… this…" she gestured to the whole place.

"I recommend we start on your property, the academy can wait I think," Wu held a bit of a smile, "I think it would be… good for the boys and a Nya to not accidentally stumble upon something you… probably do not want anyone to see again".

Of course Kai told them about the bath incident earlier. His brother and sister-in-law blushed and looked away from one another, greatly embarrassed.

He turned and saw the ninja on the ridge, "Okay! Come on!"

That prompted the six to come back around and get the news that both places were bought. The six teenagers clapped their hands, excited to get to work on helping Ninjago again, and with the rewards they each received the night after all was done, they had plenty of money in their pockets to buy everything they'd need.

Nya started walking down the trail that would lead back to the city, "Okay guys, so I'll purchase the wood and we might need a few extra hands-"

"Nya, Nya…" Jay laughed and shook his head. "We don't need to _buy _wood… we're ninja!" he winked. "Guys I think we'll need a little Tornado of Creation for this one!"

Cole nodded, "Good idea Jay! That way we can also clear a little more area if we just use the trees and resources here".

The three adults watched the four boys perform their Spinjitsu with aching hearts, "Remember when we were able to do that?" Misako sighed.

"How can I forget the days _we_ had the golden weapons?" Wu folded his arms. "Shame things turned out the way they did". He didn't look at his brother but Garmadon still felt uncomfortable and looked away from the two and the others boys, feeling guilty again.

"Done!" Jay shouted back at Nya.

She looked impressed and folded her arms with a smile, "Nice job guys you even turned them into planks! Now come on; Zane do you have the blue prints?" She turned her head to look at the nindroid.

Zane pulled out the rolled up plans and handed them to Nya, "Right here Nya, just as you all requested." Everyone huddled together and looked at the plans for the tiered building and the several small dorms and storage houses all wrapped in with a small wood dock and a wall and gate.

"Come on guys!" Lloyd called the adults over.

"Foundation is laid so now we start with the structure," Nya pointed to the frame of the party. "Who wants to nail the wood frame with me?" she held up another nail gun.

"I will!" Jay jumped first.

She nodded, "Cole can lift and hold the pieces up, Kai and Zane, can you guys cut… I think you may have made the planks too long…"

The other three walked to do as she wanted. Lloyd looked around, "What about me?" he asked.

"We need someone to hold the ladder when I do the higher up parts, do you mind?" she started lifting the ladder up. The blonde bent over and helped her lift it and open the legs up. "So…" she looked up. "How does it feel to have a whole family?" she smiled, looking back.

The green eyed ninja smiled a little, "I guess it's nice to see them getting along… I didn't expect things to feel this good in just a week". He chuckled.

Kai laughed, "Yea well, we didn't tell you what happened this morning," he elbowed the younger one, "Jay and I walked into the second bathroom that we hardly used and found your parents taking a bath together; I think they may be getting along more than you think…"

Lloyd's eyes widened and Nya clapped her hands over the younger one's ears with a mad look on her face, "Kai why do you go around saying stuff like that?"

"I bet the kid didn't even get the talk yet!" Jay walked back over with nails to reload the tools, laughing as well with a stupid grin on his freckled face.

Lloyd rolled his eyes and pulled Nya's hands from his head, "Okay this is stupid what are you even talking about? _The talk?"_

"How people make babies," Nya quickly said and wanted to be done with this conversation and just wanted to get back to work.

The gold ninja still looked confused, "Like… how Zane was built?"

The red and blue ninja looked at each other before breaking down and laughing, rolling on the ground and dropping their tools. "What are you two dinguses laughing at now?" Cole dropped wood right near Jay's head, barely missing and prompting the auburn haired one to squeal, sitting up.

"Lloyd doesn't know how babies are made," Kai pinched Lloyd's cheek teasingly. The green eyed one slapped his hand away angrily.

Zane smiled, "Oh that's quite an easy question to be answered, a male and female mate by joinin-" without a moment's hesitation; Cole clapped his hands over the white ninja's mouth before he could say anything more.

"Okay you stop talking frosty," the black hair teen quickly said. "Lloyd doesn't need to hear this right now… he is twelve… and you will scar him for life."

The blue eyed white ninja managed to move the taller one's hands from his mouth, "But surely Lloyd should know what his sexual parts do and how they're suppose to function and-".

Cole returned the hand to the other's mouth, "Yea this is why we don't let you explain important and sensitive topics such as this…" Zane muffled yelled at the others to be released.

"Just get back to cutting!" Nya pointed at Zane and Kai to scram. She ended chasing Kai and Cole away who was still holding on to Zane to make sure he still wouldn't say anything more. Nya and Jay loaded up the nail guns silently as Lloyd blinked, confused as to what just happened.

**I did say that this wouldn't be 100% Garsako. It's more like... 70%... maybe 75%... I'm not sure yet because it's obviously not done... I needed this chapter for something a bit later on. Zane needs to learn to not talk :3 **

**Thanks for reading everyone :) **

**~Mar **


	3. Chapter 3

The four older ninja and Nya all threw off their shirts and jeans or shorts, then socks and sneakers and jumped into the cool water, taking a break from the building work and relaxing. The new monastery was looking good; the entire structure was done after a month and Nya, Jay, and Zane were the ones that would be doing most of the wiring and plumbing before they finished up the walls and flooring on the main structure which had three actual floors.

Lloyd stuck his feet in to join his friend's fun when he looked back; his father was standing farther away, watching and was the only one not going in. He sighed and walked back out, "Hey dad, aren't you coming in?"

"Nah," Garmadon looked out at the others splashing around. Nya was currently on Cole's shoulders and Kai on Zane's, ready for a brother versus sister chicken fight. "You go on… it looks like they're having fun…"

Lloyd wasn't satisfied and folded his arms with a childish pout. "Why don't you wanna? You promised you'd start being a real dad…" he puffed and looked away angrily. Another reason he himself wasn't completely in was… well, he didn't quite know how to swim that well, but his father didn't need to know that.

His father rolled his eyes, giving in, "Fine… if you really want insist…" He sighed and took off his shirt like his son and the others and walked past the young blonde boy, into the lake. Lloyd's green eyes were plastered to the ink that marked his father's narrow, but built body. His mouth hung open ever so slightly.

In the water, Nya had already won the fight against Kai, "You cheated!" the fire ninja spat dirty water out of his mouth, "You know all my tickle spots!" he pointed up at his younger sister, seated happily on the earth ninja's broad shoulders, both proud victors. "I demand a recount!"

"All's fair in love and war, especially a chicken fight!" she laughed in a mock maniacal laugh.

From behind though, while she and Cole were busy laughing; Kai and swam around with Jay and pounced on Cole who toppled forward with Nya flailing her arms. The two black haired teens fell into the murky lake water; Zane going under too because Nya fell on top of him. When their heads resurfaced they cough out water, wiping their hair from their eyes, all laughing till they had tears in their eyes.

"Well that was a dirty move you two," Garmadon chuckled at Kai and Jay who slunk into the water, they sort of didn't want to hear what _he _had to say about their fight. Lloyd was paddling behind and sticking to just where his feet could touch.

"Look at that; he actually came in the water," Wu laughed, nudging Misako who was seated on the edge of the dock they built the day prior. "I didn't think he would be so keen on letting the others see him being a normal person…"

She raised her eyebrows, surprised as well. "Were we ever normal though?" she joked. "And he actually took his shirt off…" she leaned back, chuckling with Wu, the heel of her hands supporting her weight, before slipping back in the water herself.

"I… since when do you have those?!" Lloyd gestured to his dad's back. The other five's laughter quieted down and saw what Lloyd was looking at.

"Oh those?" he looked at one shoulder and then the back. "I got most of them right after I married your mom… except this one," he saw the tattoo he tried concealing on his wrist. "I… kind of wish I didn't get them though…" he grumbled and slunk into the dark water, now self conscious.

"I think they suit you," Misako jumped him from behind. "Did he show you the one of my name on his collar bone?" She wiped her wet hand wear the concealer covered it as he loudly sighed like a child being doted over by their mother. "You wouldn't believe it but he was a real bad boy when we were younger," she pinched his cheek. "Weren't you baby?" she quickly kissed his cheek.

"Okay okay," he finally fell back into the water to dunk his wife. She coughed out water and shot him an angry look.

"Aww," Nya squeaked. "That's adorable!" She looked at Jay. "Why don't you have my name tattooed on your chest!?"Jay sighed as she talked on about romantic it would be.

"Nya I don't think that's important! I'm not a tattoo guy!" they argued back and forth about the small matter.

Zane shrugged, "Well then I suppose it's not that surprising, he did have the venom in his blood so it's natural to assume he would be like that".

The mention of venom made the older man slink more into the water, not wanting to talk about it anymore. It was like everyone was being oblivious to his feelings on the matter, well all except his own family. "You… okay?" she slowly asked.

"Never better…" he sighed and decided to get out. "I had enough of being wet for one day…"

Misako let go before she was pulled out of the water too. Both mother and son exchanged worry glances. "I'll be right back Lloyd…" she waded out of the water as well and the younger blonde ninja frowned and looked back at his friends.

After she got out, Misako grabbed her towel from the pile they had on the dock and started through the trees where he disappeared into. She found him down a ways from the lake where it flowed into a steady stream. He was sitting on the bank, feet in the colder water.

"You're not okay so don't say you are…" she walked closer.

"Go away Misako…" he sighed as he threw small rocks and pebbled into the slow moving water, some skipping along the top. "Go on and have fun with the others…"

She raised an eyebrow and crouched beside him, "It's no fun unless everyone's together…" she unfolded the other towel she took and wrapped it around his shoulders. "They don't know any better… they weren't trying to make you feel bad-"

"But I have a right to feel bad about everything I did to them!" he looked back her angrily. "I should face it now and accept the fact that they will never really accept me… no matter how much they want to help, no matter how much they put on a smile and tell me good morning or ask about my day or how am I readjusting or if I'm alright in general…" he launched another rock so hard it bounced back from a boulder across the way which ricocheted back to him his shin. "GAH!" he hissed, kicking the leg up.

"Okay… so… what if they don't accept you? Lloyd and Wu and I do…" she smiled, rubbing his shoulder. He looked back at her. "I know we're your family and it's different because we're _supposed _to love you… but… I don't think the others dislike you as much as you want to think…" she ruffled his hair with the towel, drying him off.

"You don't get it…" he bent over, elbows resting on his knees as he covered his face, "You have no idea what it's like to hurt so many people and then live with them… every time I look at any of you… I feel like I didn't deserve to survive that battle or the fall…"

She bit her lip, thinking of something else, "You killed the Devourer-?"

"Then I promptly stole the weapons, oh yes, I was a true role model for everyone," he sarcastically laughed back. "I don't deserve your love no matter how many times you tell me it… I don't deserve anything okay?"

Misako shook her head and sighed, gently rubbing his back. "It's okay… I understand… I felt like that too when I met Lloyd… he didn't want me in his life though… I suppose I was worse to him… I abandoned him… you never wanted to stop seeing him even when you were evil… and you never wanted to kill anybody like the Overlord wanted before and after you met him…"

Without a warning he turned and hugged her tightly. "I'm sorry…" he quietly said into her shoulder. "I'm just… one stupid mess of a person…"

"As far as I'm concerned… you're forgiven…" she smiled, kissing his cheek and back to drying him off with the towels. "Now… wanna try again?"

She waited around a minute for him to finally make up his mind. He pulled the towel off and got up with a nod. Nya and Zane were showing Lloyd how to swim with different strokes besides the doggie paddle while the others watched from the side, laughing whenever the green eyed boy did something wrong.

Lloyd accidentally rolled head first, water going up his nose. He choked on it and snorted it out, hacking with the new burning feeling in his sinuses. "Stop laughing!" he snapped, blowing his nose loudly. He pulled himself up on the dock to take a rest when he saw his parents coming back in together. He smiled again and jumped right back in the lake.

**And you can imagine whatever you think they did when they went swimming again... maybe Kai challenged Lloyd this time to a chicken fight and Garmadon made sure his son would win? IDK. Honestly I almost made Nya or someone else be all like to Lloyd "Dude... you never told us your dad was hot". and Lloyd would have said "Uh... I didn't know either".**

**Thanks for reading :) and expect a couple of Halloween stuff coming soon! :D **

**~Mar**


	4. Chapter 4

Nya looked over at her brother, Zane, and Lloyd who were busying themselves with the nail gun and the only ladder they had. She sighed and stood on her tip toes, trying to angle her own gun at the right place. They had worked their way top; down.

"Hey Nya I gotcha," Cole lifted her up and sat her on his shoulder, one hand on her side, supporting her. Jay looked over from where he was doing the floorboards and let out a loud sigh. He wished he could help her like that but he just couldn't lift her up like Cole could.

"Thanks Cole, now I can finish my side!" She laughed as it started going along faster. Jay turned his attention back to his own task before he could be caught staring at them.

Everything was coming together like magic; Nya pulled two all nighters to make sure that all the circuiting and outlets were correct before the wall panels were to be put on. All they needed really when they were done were the window sills and glass with the custom doors to be installed, then painting and furnishing everything could be done.

On the plain lower roof, Misako and Garmadon were busying themselves with finishing the shingling for roof and waterproofing it for when storms hit. "Well how do you like it so far?" Misako tried straightening the shingles more before they dried. "This is the last layer".

"It looks nice so far…" he quietly answered her.

She leaned towards him more, "So… when we get to… ya know the inside part… what color did you want the walls? I think white plaster is too boring…" she tried to get him to talk and keep his mind off of… well, whatever would be on his mind.

"I don't know… you can handle all of that," he finished his half faster than she did. "I'm gonna go down… and… take a break I guess…"

She rolled her head back and finished her own work before jumping down. Everyone was lying around resting; they had been working for around three hours anyways. "So how are things looking?" She asked the boys.

"Almost done Misako!" Kai grinned with a thumbs up.

She smiled. "That's good, I think once the main monastery is done… I had a few designs for small extra buildings for dorms or storehouses… up to another challenge?"

"You bet!" Nya chirped happily. "Frankly I think this is the most fun I had making something. I hope you guys like it when it's all done…"

"Well thanks for helping us! I love it so far, you designed it beautifully," she looked back at the building that had yet to be painted.

Garmadon listened to the ninja and Nya talk to his wife. He technically knew them far longer than she had, yet there they were talking and acting like friends. _"Oh yea, I did try to kill them and I kidnapped Nya twice… turned her evil…. Turned most of them evil…" _He slouched forward from the rock he sat against. _"Damn I did a lot of evil things… I almost killed them several times…" _he continued to think.

Lloyd was laughing with the guys when he looked over and saw his father sitting by himself. He walked over, "Hi dad," he happily said.

"Oh… hey Lloyd…" he acknowledged his son, trying to pull himself out of his own depressing thoughts. "Why uh… why aren't you talking with your friends? You looked like you were having fun…"

Lloyd shrugged, "I guess I haven't hung around you enough since ya know… you're good again and everything…"

"Well I appreciate that…" his dad nodded and smiled a little bit. "I haven't been doing so well myself though…" he let out a breath, "You shouldn't worry about it though," he ruffled his son's blonde hair with a smile. "Where did your uncle run off to?" he looked around, changing the topic.

Lloyd shrugged, "I think he went into the city to get some things…" he leaned shoulder to shoulder with the older man. "So… are we finally gonna all live together and be a family and be normal for once?" he asked hopefully.

Garmadon didn't know how to answer it but he shrugged, "Yea Lloyd… at least… I hope we can be as normal as it gets…" It earned a laugh from the teenager which made him genuinely smile as well. "I don't know how well a whole school will go over… being who would want their kids being taught by me…?"

The boy in the green t-shirt elbowed him, "Hey, don't think people will judge based on that!" he rolled his emerald eyes. "It's not like uncle Wu's school could take on every kid in Ninjago city… I'm sure plenty of kids would come to yours…"

"Thanks but I don't think it will do any good, I should just put up a fence and stay here alone and out of people's hair… I owe the city that much…"

Lloyd leaned back against the rocks, folding his arms and thinking, "Okay so maybe… instead of… I don't know, teaching kids… why don't you just take in kids without parents who wouldn't like their kids being taught here? Or… kids with no parents at all?"

"That… is an interesting idea…" he looked down at his son. He could do the job no one could do for Lloyd as a child, "At least I'd feel useful…"

**Ah Garmy... I know how ya feel... I know how y feel thinking those depressing thoughts of the bad crap you did... I didn't almost kill anybody though... so... **

**Hey look I'm actually getting more and more idea for this! **

**Headcannon: Most of the kids at Garmadon's monastery were orphans and run aways he took in or that just followed him back like little ducklings because they had nowhere else to go and he just said "Screw it, just grab a bed I am now your mother"**_ I know Misako would be the mommy but I can imagine him saying that and she's trying to correct him but he keeps saying, "I AM YOUR MOTHER"_

**Thanks for reading**

**~Mar**


	5. Chapter 5

Exhausted from rearranging all of the furniture and equipment the movers dropped off, the older couple tiredly collapsed back on their new bed spread, bodies aching from all of the heavy lifting, or well, Garmadon was tired doing all the heaving lifting, Misako just spent all day saying 'the couch would be better if you put it there'.

"This is it… this is our new home…" Misako smiled and closed her eyes, removing her glasses so she lay on her side. "I can't believe we're all done…"

"Mm-hmm…" Garmadon face was buried in his pillow because he landed face first unlike his wife. "Now I just wanna sleep for twenty years…" he lifted his head a little.

"Price of being old…" she pulled her socks off, with a hint of a smile. His shaggy hair fell over his eyes and she reached her hand over to move it off his face. "Better get your rest in now because soon we'll have a bunch of little ones running around the place and turning that gray hair white…" she laughed. "Or maybe end up like Wu…"

"Would rather die than see that…" he trailed off and opened one eye. "I hope you were talking about students…" he had stopped himself, remembering the first part of what she said. "Please tell me you are not pregnant with twins or… more…" he swallowed.

She laughed again, "Oh god no…" she wiped her forehead. "Lloyd is enough trouble…" they both looked at each other and laughed again, both remembering how troublesome he was as little baby.

Under the laughter was heartache though; they were times they could never get back with their son and as a family. Garmadon still remembered the fussy little baby that would light up whenever he saw them come into the nursery.

The thought made them grow silent for a while. Just when they thought they were getting better, stupid things wormed its way in to spoil their time together. "I don't want the rest of our lives to be regret and silence between us… ya hear me?" she quietly said. He quietly nodded. "Good…" she smiled again.

Too tired to get out and change, they just kicked off their pants and shirts and slipped under the comforter, mindlessly snuggling closer together. It was late morning by the time they had woken up, the aches of yesterday more prominent.

Everyone was having breakfast or was almost done with it when they came out in wrinkled clothes. "Now we start work on redoing Darkly's!" Jay was excited chatting away about the things he had planned. "I had this cool idea for underground dorms so there'll be more space!"

Wu sipped his tea, "Do not forget you promised to make me a tea dispenser for the break room," he reminded the blue ninja.

"It will be much easier to build our school since the building is already there," Zane smiled, looking that bright side. "All we'd have to do is maybe repaint and rework some of the electrical outlets and pipes for the general building and of course extend it if we do the underground idea," looked Jay's way.

The two took their seats on the left side of the table where Lloyd and Nya sat. "Morning!" Lloyd loudly said, enough to make both parents wince a little at the pitch "We were going to head over to Darkly's when we were done, are you guys coming too?"

"Maybe later," Misako yawned. "We're still exhausted from yesterday… you six have more energy than us…"

"Oh, by the way, Darreth said he'd meet us over there and help out," Cole remembered, pouring more cornflakes into his bowl. "I don't know about him being a teacher with us though," he chuckled. "Uh someone wanna pass the milk?" he looked at Kai who was closest to the fridge.

"Darreth will be fine working at the school, I thought we all agreed he would help out," Wu eyed the young ninja who were laughing and joking around. "He's done plenty to deserve respect".

Kai nodded, "Of course sensei, without Darreth we couldn't do much during the Final Battle when all of those stone warriors were attack us with Nya all dark and scary because of when Garmadon used the freaky dark matter stuff and-" Nya jabbed her elbow at him hard with a deep frown. She discreetly nodded her head to Garmadon who was on the other side of Lloyd. "Uh… yea… Darreth helped…" Kai coughed and ceased talking, realizing he was rambling.

"I… will be right back…" Garmadon got up and walked down the hall and locked the bathroom door behind him.

Nya flicked Kai between the eyes, "HEY!" he shouted angrily.

"Why do you always have to say stuff like that!? In front of him no less!" the girl with black hair lectured her older brother. "Mom and dad didn't raise us to be rude!"

Misako sighed and wiped her eyes, "It's okay… just… try not to do that… he already gets anxiety from being around everyone as it is… even me…" she yawned. "I know it can't be helped hearing about what happened a few months ago… but he feels rotten as it is… just… try not to make it like it was his fault because when you get down to it; yea he made bad choice, but it wasn't really him," she quietly explained.

Everyone silently nodded in understanding.

"Now I have to drag him out of the bathroom…" she half groaned. "Again…" she walked into the next room over where the bathroom was connected to and found the door to be locked. "Come on…" she let out a breath.

"It's occupied…"

She tried twisting the handle, "You know… I know you're not in there to go to the bathroom…" she folded her arms and leaned on the wall beside the door. "We are dealing with this now… Kai's sorry…"

She heard the lock unhitch and he opened it, "But it is my fault! I turned his sister into a monster to work for me; nobody wants to be around me okay? I get that and I deserve it because I am a god forsaken asshole who never should have survived-"

Misako gave him a smack across the face. That made him shut up. "Now…" she sighed, feeling calmer herself. "You don't want to be around everyone right now… I get that," she folded her hands together in front of her. "But you need get some shit together if we're going to open this place up to kids who will be looking at us as role models… you wanted this… and I promised I'd help you so let me".

He leaned on the doorframe, hands in his sweatpants pockets. "I want to stay away for a little while…" he sighed. "Away from everything and everyone… I can't take this right now because it's been four months and they constantly talk about what happened that day and every other time I screw up their lives… I need time to clear my head…"

She nodded, "Okay… so I take it you just want to focus on the final things for here?"

"Yes… and hearing them talk… it made realize…" he looked away, feeling stupid, "I'm giving up violence…" That one had taken Misako by surprise. "Maybe if I do that… people will start seeing I'm not Lord Garmadon anymore… and I don't want to be him… but I'm taking the oath of peace… no more weapons for the rest of my life… maybe then people can forgive me…"

Misako nodded, understanding his choice and hugged him tightly. "Okay… I'll tell Lloyd… they'll all be so busy with Darkly's they'll be out of your hair…"

"Maybe then I can actually spend time with you that doesn't end with me feeling awkward…" he moved her loose hair back from her green eyes with a bit of a smile.

**Why do I write awkwardness? I think it's so cute when Garmadon is all shy around Misako (not the anxiety part like with the others because that sux) -w- **

**Thanks for reading. The next chapter's not quite as long but it's pretty funny :3**

**~Mar**


	6. Chapter 6

**Warning if you are a kid who blew through the T warning sign :3 There will be things your young minds should not read yet but I had to write it in because it would be insanely hilarious... to me anyways... not sure if anybody else will laugh at my dumbness...**

* * *

><p>The past few days went better, seeing as Wu and the others were across the way fixing up their school, leaving Garmadon more at peace. Lloyd went over for a few hours every day to help them out but came back later most of the time.<p>

"I hope Lloyd stays there all night this time…" Garmadon yawned, comfortably laid back on the small couch with his wife on top of him.

"Oh stop…" she lightly laughed. "You want him here," she lifted her head and pecked his cheek.

He pulled her up more and held her tightly. "I love you…" he sighed into her mouth, running a hand down the back of her thigh and then back up.

The two were so engrossed in their kiss that they never heard the shoji doors open to reveal Lloyd behind them. He stood with a frozen look of disgust on his face. "Oh my Spinjitsu Master…" he finally said, feeling dinner come back up when he thought he saw their tongues.

His parents looked up with wide eyes at their son; looking as shocked as he did. Misako looked back with red cheeks and coughed, "Garmadon… get your hand off my butt…"and he hesitated for a minute complied.

"This is way too gross for me…" Lloyd held up a hand and walked quickly through the halls into his room, not wanting to see anymore of the horrific display. "Go back to whatever that was but I don't wanna hear it!"

"We were just trying to give you a brother or a sister!" Misako jokingly shouted to her son. "Come on honey; let's get right to the fun part!"

"LA LA LA LA!" Lloyd loudly said so he wouldn't hear if they said anything more.

The two started laughing, "Well… I can't say I blame him… we are old…" Garmadon twisted the end of her braid around his index finger. He got up, picking her up with him, "Come on… we can at least give the curtsey of doing this in our own room…"

Assuming Lloyd had turned in for the night, they left their door unlocked, slipping their clothes off and climbing under the blankets. Misako laid underneath him, one hand tangled in his shaggy gray hair and the other slowly clawing at his ink stained back as he made her moan.

Lloyd stretched his arms over his head in a yawn, tossing his shirt and jeans in a sloppy pile in the corner of his room and walked out, "Hey, mom, dad? Goodniiiiiii…" he was stuck on the last vowel when he opened the door.

Both adults quickly looked up. "What the hell are you two _doing_?!" the blonde shouted, noticing they weren't wearing clothes under the blankets this time. They didn't say anything, internally panicking because they didn't know what to tell their son.

"We uh…" Misako looked away, "Go ahead honey... tell him; you're the man…" she passed the back.

"I don't _want_ to…" he whispered back, feeling too aroused to deal with his son. "Can't I just tell him that we're wrestling or playing twister or something!?"

"What is he; four?"

"I can hear you still," Lloyd's emerald eyes were wide.

Garmadon sighed, "Men and women have different parts… that uh… _fit _together… and…" he started, face turning red because his wife started laughing, trying to cover her mouth to stifle it. This was going to be the most awkward that would probably ever happen to him. "Lloyd, it's called sex and it's how we made you…" he bluntly put it.

"Okay but…" Lloyd coughed, "You are trying to have another… uh… kid then?"

Misako blurted out laughing again when Garmadon held his face, not knowing how to say it to that one, "Lloyd just go to bed…"

"But you didn't answer my-"

"Get out and let us enjoy this-"

"Wait you just do it to do it-?!"

"Lloyd I am not wearing any clothes but I swear on the Spinjitsu Master I will get out of bed and throw you out myself," Garmadon was losing his patience.

The teenager quickly slipped in his socks to get out. When he shut the door the two looked at one another and broke out in laughter. "Oh my gosh I can't believe that just happened…" Misako rolled on her stomach, arching her back up. "That… was embarrassing…"

"Shut up," he sighed and flipped her on her back again, pinning her down, kissing down her neck and chest. "I must admit… I think I'm starting to enjoy our alone time more… I could get use to this…"

**Hehe... he... he... I had to... I went there and I don't care... Despite the ninja's efforts, Lloyd still found out... I also got a few ideas for this story from the tumblr headcannon blogs... and someone posted a couple of cute prompts about the Garmadons... and one of them was... well... Lloyd walked in on them once... haha...**

**Garmadon's brats are coming soon and cuteness will ensue I promise you...**

**Thanks for reading whatever I just updated with :3**

**~Mar**


	7. Chapter 7

The wind howled through the more inhabitant regions of Ninjago, rustling trees and letting everyone know that a storm was coming on that night and fall was there. The clear darkening sky was covered in black clouds and it wouldn't be long before the lightning and thunder would start.

"So…" Misako slowly started. Garmadon looked up from his mug silently. "I heard that the boys managed to fill up most of the spots for students…"

"Good for them…" Garmadon looked away from her. "They deserve having students".

"And so do you…" she smiled, kissing his cheek. "Come on, just watch… someone will turn up soon," she leaned against his side, resting her head on his shoulder, trying to comfort him.

He sighed and got up, deciding to sit outside for a few minutes. It was starting to get chilly as the sun went down. He looked up with a frown; it looked like it would rain again tonight and he could feel it. He glanced around the big plot of land, knowing Lloyd was exploring every inch of it every day.

He thought he heard rustling in the bushes close to the gates. Garmadon got to his feet and went over to see if it was an animal or something, "Lloyd? That you?" he looked back up at the cloudy sky, "Come on it'll probably…" he trailed off when two heads popped out of the bush, neither of which was Lloyd.

They must have been around ten; one girl had olive skin and short black hair and the other boy was a red head. They both gave guilty grins, knowing they were caught. "Hi…" the boy squeaked, slinking down a little in their hiding place.

"And just how did you get through the gates without me hearing?" Garmadon folded his arms, raising an eyebrow. He wasn't too much in a good mood for this.

The two looked at one another and back up, "Well… we uh… ran away from our foster home and we saw that sign on the wall…" the boy coughed. His friend was rather silent, hugging his arm.

"But then I got scared because it said Garmadon… but you don't look like him…" the girl slumped down nervously with a small skewed grin. "Are… are you…?"

"Yea I'm the same guy…" he admitted. "But you might as well run along if you're going to be scared of me…"

Both kids looked as he turned to leave them, "But it said sensei… do you… take kids in? Or are you just a school… because we don't have money… and…" the boy with the red hair asked, sounding a little hopeful. Thunder started and they knew drizzle would soon start. The girl seemed to squeak and shudder at the sound of thunder.

Garmadon sighed a little loudly and looked back at them, remembering what Lloyd suggested weeks back. The corner of his mouth pulled up, "Yea… I don't take money…" he turned around and continued walking away to go back inside.

Both of the kids watched with wide eyes. He didn't say another word to them but the quickly scuttled inside after him. Garmadon turned around when the door shut and smiled briefly, seeing they weren't afraid enough to stay outside.

"Who are they?" Misako walked in and saw the two at the door. Her green eyes flicked up to her husband after seeing the two.

"Run-aways…" he walked past her. "Why don't you give them something warmer to wear? It's cold tonight," he walked past her as well.

His wife blinked and saw him disappear down the hall at his strange response to the question. She frowned and looked back at the ten year olds and gestured for them to come in more. "Well then… what are your names then?" she decided to roll with it.

"Cammi…" the girl with the dark hair said.

"Richie…" the lighter skinned boy nodded.

"Well, I'm Misako, I'm Garmadon's wife," she ruffled both of their heads with a smile. "You're welcome to stay here for as long as you want by the way…" she told them. "My son should be around here somewhere… I think you'll like him…" she smiled. "His name is Lloyd…"

Cammi's eyes grew wide, "As in… the green ninja?" she whispered in awe.

Misako laughed and nodded, "The very one…" she looked up, "Lloyd?" she called his name. She heard light and quick footsteps and the blonde teenager skidded out on the hardwood floor in his socks and sweatpants.

"Yea mom? What is it?" he wondered what it could be that she wanted.

"It's really him!" Richie gawked. "And is his dad really Lord Garmadon?" he looked back up at Misako.

Lloyd looked at the boy and girl, surprised, "Hey who are the kids?" he walked up to them. "And… don't say that kind of stuff around my dad… he doesn't like it…" he whispered like it was a special secret.

His mother pulled his ear, "Respect your father Lloyd…" she narrowed her eyes, mad at his comment. "Lloyd… they're run-aways…" Misako told him. "Your father found them hiding outside… mind taking an umbrella and getting them to the dorm house for me?" They heard the rain hitting the roof of their home.

His emerald eyes looked back down at the kids, "Yea! Sure!"

As they walked, the two children constantly asked questions, mainly about the final battle. "So do you really have a gold dragon? Are you really the most powerful ninja ever!?"

Lloyd happily answered all of them, excited to see he was pretty a celebrity in Ninjago City now, though he didn't expect it at the same time. "So you two were in a foster home?" he sat on one of the beds in the dorm house, asking them the questions now.

"Yea, we were in the same one…" Richie looked down. "But uh… they weren't really that nice… especially to Cammi…" he hugged her.

The older blonde nodded, "I know how you feel… I was in a boarding school when I was your age… I didn't really have my parents around most of my childhood… and I got bullied," he admitted. "But you guys will like it here… and as for my dad… you'll get use to him… he just… well, he's a good dad…" he smiled. "And this'll be good for him…"

Misako walked into the bedroom where her husband was getting ready for bed. "Lloyd's taking care of them right now…" She smiled.

"Good…" he commented.

"You know… that was very nice of you…" she hugged him.

He smiled back and held her tightly against him. "See? I can be nice…" he kissed her temple. She tilted her head up to kiss him on the lips.

"What did I tell you? Soon we'll have a bunch of little kids to take care of... just like I know you wanted…" she laughed.

He sighed with a small nod, "Maybe then I can make up what I've done…" his wife gently shoved his shoulder for that remark.

**I tried being cute... I hate getting behind on updates and stuff... thanks for reading...**

**~Mar**


	8. Chapter 8

"Wow so you're dad's taken in a bunch of kids who don't have a family?" Kai asked as everyone was hanging around the teacher's lounge. School wasn't official in session yet for them so there were no students hanging around and pestering them.

"Yea…" Lloyd smiled. "I'm surprised he did to be honest…" the corner of his mouth tugged down, "I guess… ya know… he seems a little… uh… course?" he tried to find the right word.

Wu walked in with a cup of tea, "Actually, it's no surprise he took in kids that were neglected or abandoned by parents and guardians and ran away…" he sighed. "He had similar issues many years ago… he tried to run away plenty of times… especially after our mother died when we were young."

"I didn't know he could be such a softie when he tries… when he was living with us on the Bounty… well, you never would have guessed right?" The other four ninja agreed. Lloyd wasn't there of course but he had heard enough. Nya sat down between Cole and Jay on the small couch they had. "So everything's going good for you guys?" she smiled up at Lloyd.

The blonde ninja nodded, "Yea there're four right now… at least the kids are keeping him going sort of… it's really cute to see those kids try and copy him, looks like he gets a kick out of someone looking up to him again".

"Like a certain someone else we saw train…" Zane looked at the others who agreed. Lloyd rolled his eyes because they were obviously talking about him. "You should have seen yourself; it was quite amusing to watch, especially with the punching bag".

"Gotta agree with Zane there," Cole nodded in agreement while Jay, Kai, and Nya snickered quietly at the thoughts of little Lloyd falling on his back from getting hit by the bag.

Lloyd shook his head with a chuckle, "Well I'm just happy because they all view me as their fabulous, amazing, and charming big brother," the ninja in green dramatically said. Everyone bursted out laughing even harder when the youngest of them said that. The blonde frowned and slumped, "Oh forget you guys, I'm leaving," he got up and started out.

"Can't get me!" brunette boy stuck his tongue out and laughed tauntingly. The small girl frowned and gripped the wooden sword tightly between her hands, ready to hit him over the head.

"Stop it right now Arnold," Garmadon snapped at the twelve year old who was teasing Camilla. "Stop teasing her and do it right!"

The boy shrunk down a little, embarrassed. While he was looking Garmadon's way, Camilla knocked the sword out of his hand. "HEY!" he shouted down at her as she smiled brightly with giggle. "SENSEI!" he shouted, gesturing to her dirty move.

"I never called time and you should learn to stay focused and never underestimate someone… especially a ten year old girl," he walked by his student and patted him on the head. "Go inside now, you must be tired, you've been at it for an hour…"

Camilla quickly put her sword back and scuttled inside with other two boys who were watching her spar, laughing. Arnold just kicked his sword and started to go inside when Garmadon stopped him again, "Pick it up and return it to its right place please".

The twelve year old rolled his eyes and did so half heartedly.

"Well he's a tough one to crack… almost two months and he's the only one who's still stubborn as a mule…" Misako chuckled when her husband came walking by her on the steps of their home.

He sat down next to her. "I know…" he smiled. "I was like that too in case you forgot… I always teased you when we were little and played…" he kissed the side of her head. "When we were five I tripped you so you'd fall right on your back and I'd win…"

"You were such a sweet and caring boy weren't you?" she laughed jokingly and kissed him back. "Though; I could tell even then you liked me more than friends," she winked and then leaned her head on his shoulder as they sat peacefully….

"ARGH!"

Spoke to soon.

A sudden crash and the cracking of glass was heard from inside as one of the older four shouted at the top of his lungs, "RICHIE!" The couple perked up more and looked back with groans, knowing that they would have a mess inside to deal with.

"Richie what did you do?" Misako got right to the point. "Oh my gosh; Donald… is that the lemonade on you?" she turned to the black haired one.

He nodded and shot Arnold and Richie an angry look which explained all that happened. Camilla was sitting at the table quietly with a small cup, not even being involved in the matter. So far, she was Garmadon's favorite, being she was the most quiet and obedient one, not to mention the only girl.

"Back to the dorms," Garmadon snapped at the red head and the brunette who slumped down and walked out. "Donnie; go take a shower… and Cammie…" the dark skinned girl looked up, "Keep being the perfect student model".

"KAY!" she piped and took another sip from her cup.

The doors opened and then shut, "I'm back?" Lloyd's emerald eyes looked around, "What happened? What's all over the floor?" he saw the sticky splotch and ice cubes on the wooden floor.

"Richie and Arnold were being jerks to Donnie," Camilla slid off her seat and ran to hug Lloyd around his legs. "They dumped all the lemonade on him," she giggled.

Lloyd chuckled and picked her up, "And you had nothing at all to do with that?" Lloyd raised an eyebrow.

"Nu-uh," she shook her head with a smile and then bit her lip, "Not this time anyways!"

"Lloyd, that you?" Misako walked back out, "Can you help clean this up?" she looked around for the mop. Lloyd nodded and set down the little girl to help her. "Cammi tell you what happened?" she got the bucket out, seeing Camilla walk back outside with her cup.

Her son nodded again, "Yea…" he side glanced, "Was… I this much trouble? I mean… I know I was like… four, before you guys split and stuff?"

His mother was silent for a moment and he glanced over again, raising an eyebrow, waiting to see if she would answer… "Oh you were much worse". She smiled. "Making a mess… breaking some dishes every once and while… made gross faces and whined when your father and I kissed," she pinched his cheek and he smacked her hand away. "I hated it when you yanked on the cat's tail too!" she continued to smile.

Lloyd blinked, obviously surprised, "We had a cat!?" he of course had no memory of that.

"Oh yea… Nina… cute little black kitten… your father bought her for me when I was eight months pregnant with you… boy did she love you; she was always at your side when we brought you home… you don't remember of course but you guys were best friends…" she leaned on the mop. "I really miss those times…" she sighed. Lloyd fell completely silent now. "I try not to think about it… I really do…"

"I wish I could remember," Lloyd chucked and hugged her. "But… I'm just happy you guys are back… and we're… getting along…" he was remembering back around two months upon catching them when they were having their "private time".

Footsteps came out and they half expected it to be one of the kids, but it was Garmadon. "Oh Lloyd… you're back…" his son slowly nodded. "I was wondering who your mother was talking to…" he smiled a little; he heard what Lloyd had just said. "Clean this up and maybe I'll let you skip teaching the kids tomorrow!"

"For real!?" Lloyd's green eyes widened with hope of a relaxing day.

Garmadon laughed and looked back, "Of course not! I need a break sometimes too you know!"

Lloyd's face fell and he started grumbling as he vigorously mopped the sticky floor up.

**Garmadon's brats~ They deserve their own sitcom I swear... **

**Simple Things references! Maybe they'll get another animal or something... IDK... guess I'm still thinking back to I never went into what happened to the cat when everyone split!**

**Ah Garmy you're so mean to your son :3 I promised this would not just be Garsako but family time too because they make my heart hurt... I wonder which kids I should introduce next... I want Garmadon finding a bunch more... IDC what the show showed, I want him to have like fifteen-twenty kids XD oh gosh imagine it... **

**Garmadon: you there; orphans! I am now your mother!**

**Misako: Garmadon you are a 52 year old man, you can't just go around saying-**

**Garmadon: I. Am. Their. Mother. Misako.**

**and now I thank you for reading this overdue update... BTW Master Quest 2 and Falling Inside the Black are on Hiatus until November :D 1 because I need to focus on getting the other ones that are almost finished, finished... and 2... because I'm a little stuck! XD**

**Thanks again**

**~Mar**


	9. Chapter 9

"Do you really think it's wise that Lloyd should watch and train the kids today?" Misako must have asked this very question for the twentieth time today, which was starting to drive her husband insane. "I mean for all we know, their probably breaking the windows while playing soccer…"

Garmadon wiped his eyes and sighed, "Of course I don't trust him with them, do you have any idea what a twelve year old is capable of with a bunch of other small children?"

"Hold on a minute; why did you let him be in charge them?" his wife stopped in her tracks.

He looked back and shrugged, "I want him to know that I trust him… and that I don't want to… well hover like I have… that's your job anyways…" he started walking again. Misako jogged a little to catch to him.

"I… do not hover over him…" she slowly said, frowning a little.

"How adorable Misako, you don't even realize it," he ruffled her once neatly placed side bangs and kissed her cheek before she could respond to his comment.

She sighed and shook her head and smoothed her hair back down again but still smiled. There was the Garmadon she married, teasing and messing around with her no matter where they were. "Come on, we should be getting back…" the shorter woman looked at her list. Any day off for either of them required shopping and neither of them enjoyed that.

He looked at the scribbled covered crumpled paper that was in her pocket and he rolled his eyes, "You crossed and double crossed everything and then some on that list… I think we got everything honey," he plucked the piece of paper from her smaller hands.

"HEY! Someone stole my wallet!"

"Where did my watch go?!"

The couple looked back at several people behind them, surprised. They were about to keep on going when a girl shorter than both of them shoved past the two abruptly and darted down the sidewalk and down the first alley.

Garmadon nodded his head in her direction and his wife knew what was going through his mind. They didn't run; they just walked down the alley the girl disappeared into and found the culprit. She looked back and jumped. "I don't have anything!" she pointed at both of them. "So… better back off because I know karate, jujitsu…" The married couple both raised an eyebrow, and the girl let out a breath, "…and five other lethal words".

"Give it back," Garmadon folded his arms. "Come on little girl…"

Misako looked back at where the alley split in the other direction and there was a smaller girl with knotted hair peeking from around the corner with a wallet clutched in her tiny hands. "Mickey… just go, I got this!" the older one swatted her hand angrily.

"Okay you little girls; return what you stole right now," Garmadon looked back between the two.

"Sorry gramps but this is our only source of income," the older girl chuckled and started running down the alley she was in and expertly climbed over the fence in her path.

"You wanna take her? She's pretty fast for me…" Misako looked back at the girl who was called Mickey. "I got her…"

"Oh fine," Garmadon sighed and went after the older teenager.

The girl named Mickey blinked, "Is he gonna hurt my biggest sis?" she squeaked, looking up at Misako.

The older woman crouched down and laughed, "Oh no, he swore an oath of peace, not to mention he would never hurt a child… especially your sister… you're name is Mickey right?" she brushed some dark brown hair from the girls eyes.

Mickey nodded, "Well… my full name is Michaela… Mel and the others call me Mickey but I like it better!" she smiled a little. "Here…" she handed the wallet back to Misako. "I'm sorry we stole it…" she pulled the sleeves of her old sweat down over her hands.

"You… said there were others; right? And another sister? Are there more kids like you?" Misako frowned, gripping her husband's wallet in one hand. Mickey nodded. "Well… I'm sorry to hear there's a whole group of you…"

Mickey smiled, "Oh it's okay because we all work together and we're like our own family now and Mel; she's in charge of everyone and she's really fun and makes us smile a lot… her and my older brothers!" she shoved her hands in her pockets.

"Big family then… right?" Misako stood up, slowly walking alongside the small girl.

She started counting on her fingers, "Uh yea… my biggest sis is Mel, then my brother Chase… then Nat, then Jean, me, Bri, and Emmie…" she piped.

* * *

><p><em>"Oh my gosh, does she ever stop!?" <em> Garmadon thought because he was starting to get a little tired after the fourth fence. "Why are there so many fences here?!" he jumped from the last one.

At last they hit a dead end and the brunette thief looked back and Garmadon froze. There were around four others in there with her in a small, ransack fort like structure made from cardboard boxes and crates and old blankets and towels people probably threw out.

The several others poked out from their little hideaway and looked at the intruder. "You mean to tell me that there's more than you and your sister?"

"I have more than one in case you were wondering…" she folded her arms. "Natalie and Emily are also my sisters…" she looked at two dirty blondes, one who looked a little older and very young one. "And my little brothers Brian, Jean, and Chase…" she looked to the youngest boy there and two others. "Now where's Mickey?" she looked around. "Or did you kidnap her?"

Garmadon leaned against a wall and shook his head. "My wife's with her; she's safe…"

One of the boys chuckled, "Wow Mel, an old man like that was able to keep up with you? Either he must be a ninja or you're just losing your edge!" Several other boys laughed with him and Mel stomped her foot.

"SHUT UP CHASE!" she hissed, clenching a fist at him. "Your just jealous you dumbass".

"Actually your friend is right I am a ninja… an… older ninja… but yea, maybe you heard of Sensei Wu?" the nodded, feeling tired. "I'm his older brother," he raised his hand a little.

"Nuh-huh!" Another boy shouted and pointed, "Liar; his brother's a bad guy who died when the green ninja saved us!"

_"Gods of Spinjitsu not this conversation again…_" he rolled his eyes and wiped his face, "On my honor I swear _was_ Lord Garmadon… But I'm a good guy now…!" he pointed before the boy could open his mouth to retort.

"What a load of bull crap!" Mel laughed. "Like we would believe you-"

"Melly!" Mickey's light steps padded along towards them. "They're ninja! Isn't that cool? Like the ones who saved the city! They're the green ninja's parents!" she hopped excitedly. Mickey abruptly stopped and looked to Garmadon, "Here; I wanted to give it back myself mister…"

Mel folded her arms and grumbled something under her breath. "Yea okay so what if he was Lord Garmadon? He ain't that that scary…" she sneered a little. "I bet I can be just as good at punching things like stupid ol ninja!"

Misako looked a little surprised at the other group of kids who were apparently living here. "Oh gosh… you weren't kidding Mickey…" she counted eight others besides Mel and Mickey. She walked over to Garmadon and pressed her lips together, sort of smiling, "Can we keep them?" she shrugged her shoulders up, standing on the balls of her feet.

Her husband sighed and looked back at them, "Hey… Mel was it?" he got her attention. "I run a… little place for kids like you and your friends… why don't you come and live with us? We have five other children counting my son…"

"The green ninja!?" Mickey's gray eyes grew wide as a smile crept on her pale face.

Some of the others seemed very interested but a boy with sandy hair stood up and looked back, "Time out, it's Mel's call guys… she's the one that takes care of all of us!"

"You're just saying that because she's your big sister Jean!" a smaller blonde boy with cracked glasses stuck his tongue out and so did the one called Jean.

Mel leaned to the left a little with a bit of scowl on her face. Garmadon was looking right back at her. After a few moments of silence she puffed angrily, "Fine… but just because I'm looking out for all of you!" she pointed to the others. "I'm trusting you on this one old man… they're my family and we're all we got…" the corner of her mouth tugged up a little in a smirk.

"I have a feeling you'll like my place better than an alley way…"

* * *

><p>Lloyd looked at the new kids and slowly nodded, "Yea… okay… so…" he counted quietly. "Let me see if I get this right…" he cleared his throat, "Emily… Brian, Isaiah, Michaela, Jean, Natalie, Torrin, Chase, Victor, and…?"<p>

"MEL!" Mel angrily shouted at the blonde. "For the love of good in the world, how can you not remember just… MEL?" Lloyd was trying not to laugh, of course Mel was the easiest one but he wanted to push her buttons so badly just because she seemed liked the kind to blow up.

"What does that even stand for!?" Arnold scrunched his nose. He wasn't liking the idea of a bunch of new kids living with them. "Who names their daughter Mel?"

"I KNOW!" Emily giggled loudly. "I know what her real name is!"

Mel glared at her littlest sister, shaking her head while the others started chuckling with knowing looks. All eyes were on Mel and she growled, "FINE! My real name is Melanie… happy you dorks?" she snapped. Her brothers bursted out laughing, "Shut it! I hate my name!"

Garmadon didn't know exactly how this new group of kids would act but hopefully with a little time they would be turn out being good kids. No doubt Lloyd would take to all of them being he was just good like that.

Yea Mel would be sort of hard to whip into shape, but so far, this was almost fun for the reunited couple.

**WHOOP! I updated with a nice long chapter because you guys have been waiting just forever on this one. I promise to do my best for at least a weekly update because I need to feel like I am accomplishing something here XD**

**So my main eleven kids are assembled and now you all will get to meet and know them better... for some reason my brother thought Mel was supposed to be me JUST because I gave her really short brown hair and eyes XD (frankly there are not enough of brown haired brown eyed characters because it's REALLY common in the real world) He also thought her real name would be Melissa as a spin off of Marissa... well he was wrong! And it wasn't even gonna be Melody XD **

**Okay enough of me rambling on, I'll definitely go into everyone's little back story/history of what happened. This tale ain't just about Garmadon and Misako loveyness heehee, but of course there will be fluff in every chapter ;D**

**Thanks for reading! Hope you guys like my little brats ;3 **

**~Mar**


	10. Chapter 10

Eleven was the total amount that occupied the dorms of the Garmadon family's home. All the younger ones immediately adjusted to their new and better change, it was the older ones that had to learn how to sit and relax without worrying about food and surviving.

Every last one of the younger kids wanted to be Lloyd's best friend and by this, he had to put up with around eight kids constantly tackling him on a daily basis and Mel and the older ones playing tricks on him.

"So… how do you like being a daddy again?" Misako couldn't help but smile watching Lloyd trying to evade the very uneven dodge ball game; eleven against one. He looked away so she couldn't see his face. "How adorable…" she kissed his cheek, making him blush more.

"HEEEEELP!" Lloyd wailed for someone to run to his aid.

His father and sighed and got up, walking out to where they were playing and folded his arms, "Now what do we have here? The great golden ninja is losing against the pathetic army of children?"

"DAD! You know it hurts when Chase and Victor do a double body slam…" he groaned. The blonde always took the brunt of play time, which on some days, he just hated. "Please?!"

Garmadon smirked, "Pathetic ninja! You may have defeated me before, but now I have my new army, you shall never win again!" bent over, chuckling.

Misako shook her head, hearing the kids laugh and Lloyd looked even unhappier if that was possible having that many kids on your back. It would be up to her to rescue her poor son, "Hey guys, come in and take a break, I made butter cookies!"

Like little puppies they looked up, stopping what they were doing. "Alright come on young ones, off your brother," he leaned on his staff with a bit of an amused smile. He extended a hand to Lloyd to help him up to his feet. "Sorry son…"

"Why do they have to jump on me all the time?" he scrunched his nose, walking up the steps. "Wait… where's Mel-"

"MEL ATTACK!" something wet landed on top of the blonde's head, dripping down on his t shirt and jeans. She ran right past him and inside by the time registered it was a water balloon that he was smacked with.

"Go in and grab a towel…" Garmadon nudged Lloyd down the hall to where the bathroom was. "I wonder how the others are doing with their students…"

"Lloyd please, you gotta come over and be amazing and calm these brats down…" Kai rubbed his eye. So far, they sucked as teachers and it was only the end of September. After a month and a half, they were not faring well.

The green ninja sat back, holding his cell phone to his ear, towel in the other hand. "Funny how my dad's kids are pretty tame when him and mom shout free cookies after they were very into trying to shove me into the lake like earlier…" he chuckled. "I have to babysit the kids tonight though because my dad is actually taking my mom out… like… on a _date…_ I didn't even know old people still did that…"

"Yea… Lloyd, your family issues aren't my problem; are you coming over or what?" the red ninja puffed, listening to his sister yell at the boys. "Uh oh… I gotta go… my sister is probably going to kill some of the students!" Kai's brown eyes widened and he dropped to phone to hold the younger girl back from doing something terrible.

"Llooooyd," Emily, Brian, and Camilla ran over with a kickball, "Can you play with all of us!? Pleeeease?" their wide eyes begged for the green ninja to play. He got up and ran outside with them with a smile.

It had felt like years since his parents would have a night to themselves, especially since they took in the newest additions that were proving to be a bit hard to teach. "Lloyd, we'll be back in a few hours… you sure we don't need to have to call your uncle and the others?" Misako looked back, a little worried more than ever since Mel had a mischievous look in her eyes.

"I got this!" their son gave a thumbs up, followed by Arnold kicking the ball straight into his stomach, knocking him back to the ground. Both parents exchanged more worrisome looks before deciding to leave, trying not to think about what could possibly happen.

If anything, they were probably more worried about how their own night would play out.

Garmadon drummed his fingers on the table, staring off into nothing, "Hey…" Misako sighed, snapping her fingers. "You going to stare off at nothing this whole night; or are you going to actually… talk to me?"

"Sorry…" he coughed. After around half a year back together, conversation was still awkward from time to time since plenty of things were very different, they weren't exactly the same people they once knew. "I just really do not want half the house burned down… you know Victor and Chase like to mess with flammable stuff and Mel and her sister-"

She held up a hand, "Stop right there," she held a finger to his mouth, "When was the last time we spent time like this?" she paused. "And not in bed I mean…" she corrected herself. "I don't want to talk about the kids…" she sound exhausted just by the thought of them.

"Okay okay…" he nodded, leaning on the heel of his hand. "So… what did you want to talk about instead?" he asked her.

His wife opened her mouth but closed it, "I… I don't know…" she leaned against her hand as well, trying to think of something.

"Then why can't we talk about what I was talking about?" he rolled his eyes, starting to feel a bit annoyed.

She frowned. "Because after eight years why can't we just talk like we use to? Ya know… before you left me and went all evil and tried to kill everyone and seduce me into being an evil queen with you when all I wanted was to steal the helmet and try to help…?" she nervously tapped her foot. That was a bad move on her part wasn't it?

He wiped his face, "Fine… okay…" he slowly said, thinking of something to say to her. "How long did it take you to get over me?"

Her mouth dropped a little in surprise of the question, "Wait… what?" Misako sat back in her chair. "What the hell do you mean by that?" her eyebrows furrowed, almost taking it as an offense.

Garmadon looked down with a frown, "You know what I mean Misako… did you just up and leave Lloyd and move on… or did you even cry? Did he?" he hesitated, "Because I did…" She still looked a little speechless at what he just asked her. He had never asked what it was like for her when he up and left to his own crazy scheme of attempting to kill his own brother.

"Well I… just… this is dumb…" she looked away, pouting. "Of course I was upset and depressed," she dropped her arms at her sides of the seat. "How could I not be after over forty years of knowing you… let alone half that in marriage?"

He nodded, "Okay… because I'm still afraid you'll just disappear one morning and I'll never see you again…" he admitted, hiding the blush that spread across his face.

"Aww…" she laughed a little, "You shouldn't worry about that honey…" she quickly leaned forward to give him a kiss. "I would never leave you… especially while we have so many kids that you'd have to take care of… the there would be that tattoo with your name I have…" she wiped her glasses, chuckling.

Few more silent moments passed, "Do you ever think things can be normal again?" he mumbled the question. "Because that's all I want since I came back… and so far… well; that just isn't working out it seems…"

Misako shook her head, putting her glasses back on, "I'm afraid we will never be normal sweetie… being we're two of the very first Spinjitsu masters… not to mention you're a former dark lord who's the father of the greatest hero of Ninjago…" she trailed off, "That and the four headed dragon sort of adds to that…"

The next silence was broken faster by the both of them bursting out in laughter. It had been a long while since either really laughed like that. It eased things up even more. "Okay I understand that part," he smiled. "But honestly… It's… very different for me to have a family again like this…"

"I know; and I'm just trying do what I can to be here for you…" she held his hand gently. "It's funny because-"

Both heard one of their phones buzzing and pulled them out to see what it was all about. It was Garmadon's and the caller ID read "Lloyd". Both looked at one another and he answered, "Uh… what is it son? We were going to see a movie in a few minutes…"

Lloyd nervously laughed, "Yea… I… sort of lost the kids when we were playing hide and go seek in the dark…"

"You did what now!?" Garmadon shouted. "Lloyd! I told you to keep an eye on all of them! They should be in their dorms at this hour!" He looked at his concerned wife who brought her hands to her face, shaking her head. "Son, this is your problem… I'm sure they're hanging around _somewhere_ and you all better be in bed by the time I get back there!" Someone had to teach that boy some responsibility!

"Don't you think we should…; I don't know… go back and round them up!?" Misako went to grab her jacket and head straight home to take care of the kids.

He waved his hand, "Trust me, I know none of them would really run away…on purpose I mean… last time I lost count, it was Emily who just wandered off chasing squirrel and she was in tears when I found her an hour later… they won't wander more off if they know their lost…" he bit his lip.

Was he a bad parent saying that? It seemed like it when his wife gave him her knowing look of _"They're our responsibility since we took them in you idiot"._

"You know what, yea… let's just… yea let's go," he grabbed his jacket as well and got up with her to go straighten things out. Hopefully Lloyd would have most of them found by the time they got back.

So much for date night.

**This chapter has a part two :3 Gosh those troublesome kids! And aw, awkward conversations. I know after knowing people for over a year I feel awkward... no one blames you Garmy...**

**Thanks for reading! :D **

**~Mar**


	11. Chapter 11

"Mel? Cammi?! Jean, Chase, Arnold, Emily, and Brian!?"

Lloyd was growing tired of saying all of eleven names after just twenty minutes. He really was hoping he would find them and restore order before his parents would decide to pop home and scold him. What possessed him to call his father? He could have just handled it and they could never have to know! At least he wouldn't be alone in that. Mel would get snapped at as well.

She had this amazing way of not doing anything she was told and manipulating the others into following her in making the ninja's life a living hell on a daily basis. And she would almost never get in trouble. After tonight, Lloyd knew that would quickly change.

He heard rustling in a bush and the blonde smirked. He crept over and held a stick he found in hand, beating the bush. "OUCH!" a boy's voice yelped. Lloyd reached in and grabbed a piece of fabric, dragging the boy out. It was Arnold. "Hehe… hey Lloyd?"

The gold ninja dropped the red head and rolled his eyes. "Just get back home or else I'll use my Spinjitsu on you…" The freckled boy did as he was told, grudgingly trudging his feet along. "Now… ten more…" he sighed, running a hand through his hair.

How could this night go so wrong all at once?

* * *

><p><em>"Alright, everyone to bed… or get ready at least…" Lloyd walked in on the kids who were on the floor and couches, intently watching the television. <em>

_They all looked back and groaned, "Come on Lloyd! Not now!" Torrin complained. "We're not tired and Garmadon and Misako aren't home! Just a while longer?!" All nodded, asking please simultaneously._

_The emerald eyed boy rolled his head back, trying to think whether he should let them or force them to the dorms. "Noo…" he sighed, "My dad said in bed by ten… it's nine-thirty…" The slowly got up and started walking outside with Lloyd behind them. _

_Mel's brown eyes shifted back and forth between Victor and her sister Natalie. "One… two… three…" they whispered. "SCATTER!" At first, it was just the group that lived together with Mel and her siblings that ran off in different directions. _

_Not long after, the other four followed suit, leaving Lloyd very confused and stunned as he saw them disappeared in the dimly lit courtyard, around back to the woods around the grounds. "HIDE AND GO SEEK IN THE DARK!" Victor's voice came. _

_"WE GO TO BED WHEN YOU FIND ALL OF US!" Mel's voice came next with dry laughter. _

_The green and gold ninja felt his heart thud in his ears as he started to panic. What would he do!? What could he do but find them? If he called his dad then he would be furious for sure and he really did not want to reopen the door, seeing what his anger would be like now that he was good._

_Regretfully, the green eyed ninja pulled his cell phone out and dialed his dad's number._

* * *

><p>Ah that's right, it was all Mel and Victor's fault. They wanted to play this game? Well then the green gold ninja would without a doubt have to play along and show them he was the adult here and they had to go to bed. How hard could it be to find ten more kids?<p>

Lloyd listened to dead silence and wiped his face, "Okay this is gonna be really, really hard huh?" Oh why did his father have to train them in the ways of the ninja? No doubt they were actually learning something about stealth. He wondered how long they were actually planning this little joke. Probably since the day before when his parents mentioned about a date night.

* * *

><p>Garmadon and his wife couldn't get home fast enough. They barged right through the front gates and looked around for any sign of their son or the other children. It was already past ten so they headed inside to find Arnold and Donnie sitting on the couch.<p>

"Well Lloyd found two out of eleven…" Misako sighed and folded her arms, "Go on and find the others… I'll stay here and keep an eye on whoever comes back…"

"Sounds good, see you later," Garmadon shut the door behind him. He didn't know the surrounding property all that well to be honest as he wandered around the back trails, past the lake and waterfall ledge behind the main building.

Weaving through a few trees he spotted a dangling leg and frowned, looking up at who it belonged to. He climbed the tree a little and couldn't help but smile seeing it was Emily and Camilla resting against one another, asleep with Brian between them.

"Well… there's three right here…" he gently prodded Emily's shoulder, "Emily sweetheart… Brian…" he moved a lock of black hair from Camilla's face, "Cammi?" they all opened their eyes a little and yawned. "I'm here to put you to bed…"

"Okay…" Emily reached an arm out for Garmadon to pick her up. She always liked when he did that for her, though it was not so often since he was always busy with the others. He figured the youngest three would be relatively easy to find since they never stayed up late at all.

In one arm he picked Emily up and Brian in the other. "Camilla… you gotta ride on my back sweetie…" he tried to balance the brother and sister in his arms. She climbed from the tree on his back and he had to walk down the ridge he hiked up to the monastery.

Without another arm to open the door, he had to kick the bottom frame until his wife came. "Oh gosh… three more…" she hid her smile. He looked so cute holding three sleep children so close.

"You know right now I wish I had four arms again…" he said under his breath, feeling Camilla slip as she was feeling drowsy again, choking him a little. Misako helped lower her on the couch and took Brian, rubbing the sleeping child's back.

"Six more then…" they set the three next to Arnold and Donnie who were now leaning against one another asleep. The door slid open again and this time it was Jean and Isaiah slumping inside with tired faces. It seemed more than a few were running out of steam.

"I'll get them all to bed," Misako put her hands on her hips and smiled at the students.

* * *

><p>Lloyd snuck up behind Michaela grabbing her by the shoulders and she screamed a little before realizing who it was. "Not that this isn't fun, but I'm starting to get tired and you all need to be rounded up or else we're all gonna be in trouble because my dad sounded pissed when I told him…"<p>

Michaela nodded, understanding and hugged Lloyd tightly, "Okay Lloyd! But I wanna help you find the others!" she hopped.

"Sorry Mickey, but you gotta go back… okay?" he ruffled her fluffy black hair and started to walk on when she pointed to a tree not far off, "Natalie is there… and Torrin is in the blackberry bushes!" she whispered to the green eyed ninja. "She loves those berries!" she giggled before scuttling off.

It was like the fourteen year olds gave up as soon as their locations were given away. "You'll never find Vic, Mel or Chase!" they winked and ran to catch up with Michaela and walk back altogether.

* * *

><p>"GOT YA!" Garmadon restrained Chase who yelped in surprise, trying to squirm away. "Not tonight kiddo…" he started dragging the black haired fifteen year old along. "I'm stronger than you but I really do not want to have to carry you to bed when you finally tire yourself out fighting me here…"<p>

Chase groaned and Garmadon got off his back, "Fine…" he grimaced. "Mel decided to hide deeper in… don't forget she's a good climber by the way…" he grumbled as he walked back to the monastery, defeated by the older sensei.

* * *

><p>Lloyd wiped his face and growled as he knew he would have to climb the trees in order to find the remaining student; Mel. When he did though, frantic rustling was heard and he knew she was close by if not, right above his head. The blonde hoisted himself up and tried to stay as quiet as possible.<p>

In the struggled to grab branches, he grabbed something that felt like a leg and two voice screamed, startled. "MEL!" Lloyd growled.

"Uh oh…" she kicked her foot free and found her way to the next tree but got tangled up in it, allowing Lloyd to find her. "DAMN IT!" she shouted as Lloyd pulled her down to the ground. "Leave me alone Lloyd!" she tried to get away again. She tripped though over her own two feet and scrapped her knees and the heels of her hands when she fell on them.

"Mel!" he quickly ran over to help her up.

"Oh just go away…" she sat on her butt, wiping her eyes and face.

"Why? You gonna try and run away or something?" he sat next to her.

"Maybe…" she lowered her head, "Why is your dad being nice?" she asked out of nowhere, looking away from him. "Why is he trying to be so nice when he was all evil and hated literally everyone?"

"Because he wasn't like that by choice now let's goes!" he looked at her scrapes. "No doubt my mom and dad are back because I think the others got rounded up by them…" he pulled at her arm she stood up slowly, walking side by side.

"I'm not even sure I can… ya know… adjust to having someone care about me and give me an actually home to live in…" she scratched the back of her head. "It feels… weird…" Mel scrunched her nose,

* * *

><p>Garmadon sighed, "Where are those two?!" he looked around for any sign of Mel and now Lloyd since he appeared to be lost as well. Last time he made a trip back to see the head count it was around midnight and Misako told him she didn't hear or see either teenagers.<p>

Then he heard Mel's voice, and then Lloyd's and saw them slowly walking together along the trail back.

* * *

><p>Lloyd held his hands behind his back and watched their feet step in sync, "Can I ask what happened to your parents?" he dared to ask her.<p>

She looked at him and hugged herself, "My mom died when Emily was born so it was just my dad and us… so one day he uh… well he got this new girlfriend he married and slowly forgot about us and then turns out she was just after the money and he never came home one day so I say she set him up and killed him or something!" she looked angry, "Then she kicked us aside and well… I'm the oldest and it was my job to take care of everyone…"

Lloyd looked a little confused, "Did you even go to the police? My friends and I could have helped!"

She sighed, "It happened almost five years ago though… long before you and your friends became ninja… we were all in an orphanage and when we heard no one wanted to adopt all of us or that any foster homes wouldn't take all seven in… I decided to run away and do my own thing since no one else cared about people like me… then all my sibs followed and then we met Vic and Torrin and the others," she looked up at the sky. "And now… Garmadon thinks pinning us in his monastery walls is gonna be any different… he barely talks to anyone… he never agrees to play games like you do…"

"Oh so you pick on me to get his attention?" Lloyd raised an eyebrow.

"No!" she squinted. "I just…"

"He hardly ever visited me as kid when I was in boarding school but that was because literally could not because the laws of nature wouldn't let him… my mom was the one that dropped me off and I never saw her again for more than eight years… then again my family history is a little screw up…" he chuckled. "I think my dad really loves you guys… he wanted something to give him a little more purpose and you guys keep him busy…"

"Ha… ya… you're the only one he really cares about…" The two looked back when they heard rustling. "Always hanging around you like a dad should…"

"I think you have just become so cold to everyone that you can't see what's in front of you; trust me; I know that feeling…"

"Dad?" Lloyd blinked in the dark, looking for the source of the voice.

"It's about time I found both of you… thanks for finding the others Lloyd…" he messed up his son's hair and turned to Mel. "Now I know it was you who decided to play games tonight…" The brunette swallowed, expecting either to get scolded or kicked out… "But you should really come back now… I was very worried…"

"You… what?" she blinked.

"Yes, come on," he grabbed her hand and pulled the freckled girl along a little ways till she started walking on her own. "Misako will clean up those scrapes you have… wouldn't want to get an infection from the dirt…"

She looked down and noticed one was bleeding, "I… uh…" she took another step, "Thanks…" he put an arm around her and the other around Lloyd as they walked.

**Well Mel and the other back story turned out to be little too much like Cinderella's past then what I was going for... haha... well... uh... maybe a hint of Series of Unfortunate Events in there too? IDK man but it seemed like a good idea at the time... also wanted to have it like people discount kids so much and don't believe them? Mel's like sixteen-ish maaaybe... or is she fifteen and is just eleven months apart from Chase? I can't remember she might even be seventeen... (I will have to check back on that XD) but I just decided she is a very scatterbrained character with her brain is always all over the place all the time XP  
><strong>

**Did you die from fluff? I enjoyed writing four pages of this mush... I really did... wow... this little story is half way over... such a shame really... It's pry gonna end just before Rebooted when the ninja go to hide for a while and Pixal comes in and stuff...**

**Well thanks for reading! I'm happy you're enjoying this and remember... Christmas story soon and it includes Garmadon's brats hahaha ;D**

**~Mar**


	12. Chapter 12

Garmadon walked back through the gates, shutting them behind him and saw all the kids were lying around in any shady space there was available, half asleep and looking very hot and unhappy. Some of the older ones were in the lake as he opened the door to the monastery, "Hey… what's up?" he looked at his wife.

"Aren't you hot in those robes?" Misako came out in her tank top and cargo pants without shoes or socks on. "You're making me warm…" she pulled her long hair back in a ponytail. He still looked confused when she never answered the question. "The air conditioner is busted and Jay or Nya can't come by until tomorrow because of the classes…" she sighed. "It has to be a hundred out there…"

"Oh…" he blinked. "Why don't the other kids just go swimming like Lloyd?" he looked out the window, half of them were just sitting in the shade while Mel, Chase, Natalie, and Torrin were splashing around by the dock with his son.

Misako shrugged, "Don't know how to I guess…" She looked at him, "Hey, mind leaving the door open? There's a bit of a breeze…"

He ignored her though and pulled her by the wrist. "Well, come on, let's change that…" he pulled his jacket off and his top robe, walking back out. "Come on kids, get in the water!" he pointed to the younger ones.

"We don't know how to…" Camilla frowned, folding her arms.

"It's easy… and we might be stuck with no air until tomorrow so I suggest you get in the lake Cammi," he looked back. The rest of the students reluctantly got up and took off their shoes and waded in the lake.

Mel tackled Lloyd from behind but looked up, "Old man's coming in the water? Oh dear; go easy on him girls!" she laughed as Lloyd tried to throw the fifteen year old off his back by dunking her backwards. He wasn't getting very far though.

"You're hilarious Mel," he commented dryly. Her eyebrow twitched up and she released Lloyd from her headlock. "Just because I have gray hair and am older doesn't mean I couldn't take all of you on at once…"

"Hey dad, show her the tattoos!" Lloyd giggled, sinking into the water.

He sighed, "No Lloyd, why!?"

"To show them you were a badass!"

He looked at green eyed boy, "Lloyd, can you shut up please?"

"Stop making your father uncomfortable!" Misako shouted at her son, getting in the water herself. She was holding up Emily in the water. — "Thank-"— "You know that's my job!" her husband frowned as she couldn't help but have a stupid grin on her face. "I'll rip the shirt off, I don't care-".

Garmadon had waited until Emily doggie paddled to Lloyd, who picked her up, before grabbing his wife and plunged her under the dark water for a good ten seconds. She gasped for air when he let her go up, spitting out the lake water. "GARMADON!" she choked out while the kids and Garmadon laughed at her reaction.

Though she tried to push him away and get out, his arms remained firm around her waist so she wouldn't go anywhere. "Come on honey…" he kissed her cheek several times. "I'm sorry…" he couldn't help but chuckle. She looked like a cat someone tossed into a bathtub even though she was more of the swimmer out of the two.

The other children though were hollering with laughter at what he did. Misako eventually stopped the struggle and gave in that he wouldn't let go of her. "Gonna stay?" She nodded quietly. "Good," he kissed her one more time, "Okay guys, pick teams, Mel and Lloyd are the team captains…" he tossed a volley ball and Lloyd and Mel fumbled with it for a few seconds.

"What are we playing?" Jean frowned at the ball.

"It'll be good for you to get some exercise… you've been doing nothing but lying around the past week! Let's play keep away!"

The only two that were not play was Emily and Brian because they were still young and could even stand four feet into the lake's shore let alone play a game of volleyball with the big kids so Misako kept them on her lap as she sat on the deck to watch them.

Arnold, Donnie, and Isaiah were messing around with the ball when Arnold threw it too hard, hitting Isaiah squarely in the nose. "Oh no…" Misako set the two youngest on the dock and had to help the dirty blonde haired boy out of the water, "Alright, it's just a bloody nose…" she sighed, shooting a look at Arnold and Donnie who suddenly looked very afraid, trying to hide behind Victor.

"Dad, we're short one player, you gotta play," Lloyd looked over, counting now that Isaiah was out. "You'll have to be on Mel's team".

"Woo, I get the old man…" she sarcastically cheered in a monotone voice before the ball hit the top of her head. "What ya gonna do? Lecture the other team to death?"

"Don't you sass me Melanie Beatrice Brookestone!" Garmadon poked her nose and grabbed the ball.

The other kids snickered at her real name, "Okay okay! Just don't call me by my entire name… _dad," _she mocked and took the ball back from him in a huff of annoyance. He ruffled her wet hair and looked back at the other kids on her team.

Misako came back out after she helped Isaiah change from his wet clothes and laid him down in his room to watch the little game between the other kids and her son. She smiled seeing her husband actually smile and laugh with the kids. _"This was good for him…" _she thought to herself. _"I never saw him so happy before…_" She sat back down between Emily and Brian.

She knew Lloyd was right in suggesting they take in children who didn't have a home. It was even better than enrolling students like Wu and the other ninja. If they did that, then Garmadon would never have moment's peace, always worrying if the students wouldn't like him or the parents would be wary of him even though he was different now.

These kids had nowhere else to go and were misfits like he was. Even though some were snarky, troublesome, sneaky, and even bratty, they were just as lovable. It was almost like even she received a second chance after leaving her little Lloyd for so long. She looked down with a smile when Emily leaned against her.

"Watch out!" They jumped when the sudden shout came. Garmadon dragged Michaela out of the way before the ball hit her. "You have to be careful Mickey…" The dark haired girl nodded as she did her best to tread the water and keep up with the others.

"Sorry!" Jean shouted and grabbed the ball again.

**Swimming! Ah my sweet little oc brats... They are all his adopted kids and I headcannoned that long before I made these stories... haha**

**Well, Time to continue writing and revising stuff because I just got a slew of ideas for First Masters! Thanks for reading! *flies away on a magical pegasus into fan fiction land***

**~Mar**


	13. Chapter 13

Lightning crackled as a terrible storm was brewing over all of Ninjago it seemed. The rain could be heard pounding the roof of the monastery. It was peaceful though at least to the former dark lord who actually enjoyed the sounds of a storm.

The couple was getting ready for bed when another crackle and boom came, followed by the slamming of a few doors and slapping of bare feet on a wooden floor. They turned around and saw Emily, Brian, and Camilla standing in the doorway, looking a little wet.

"Oh that's right…" Garmadon closed his eyes and sighed. "Cammi's afraid of lightning…" he said under his breath. In fact he met her and Richie just before it started raining.

Without another word Cammi jumped at the next boom and hugged his leg tightly. "Come on… you're a big girl, lightning won't hurt you…" he picked her up and sat her down on his bed. "Well… I mean can if you're standing in an open field with a metal rod or something…" he corrected.

"Oh come on, she's scared…" Misako noticed she and the other two were a little wet as well. Another creaking of the sliding door and they saw Richie, Arnold, Isaiah, and Donnie peeking in. "Don't tell me you guys are also scared?"

"We…" Arnold was shoved forward to speak on behalf of the other three. "Uh… we wanted to make sure Emily, Brian, and Camilla got inside safely…" he straightened up and tried to sell the lie. He was still shaking though.

"It's okay if you're scared ya know…" Misako laughed.

"OUCH!" a thud was heard. A little down the hallway leading up to the bedroom was Michaela, Jean, Natalie, Chase, and Torrin.

Garmadon wiped his face, seeing exactly where this was heading. "Gee why don't we just have a slumber party? How about a pillow fight?" he sarcastically said.

"Perfect idea!" He jumped when he heard another voice. Mel's head was sticking out of the bathroom that was connected to their room.

"Mel! How did you even get in there without getting past me?" he asked her next.

"The sliding door that leads out back to the dock!" Victor poked his head in over the shorter girl. They pulled the door open a little more to show them.

Lighting crackled and the kids flinched again. Misako looked at her husband who sighed, "Fine they can stay…" he gave in. He looked down at Camilla who smiled a little.

"I'm making hot chocolate and getting the extra blankets and pillows…" Misako turned and headed for the kitchen.

"Were you ever afraid of the storms?" Camilla's legs swung over the edge of the bed. The others were looking at him to answer that.

"Actually when I was younger than Emily…" he admitted; looking at the little blonde who wanted to be picked up. "But I got over that years ago," he said that before anybody could say anything more about it. "But I mean… Vic… what are you and Mel doing here?"

Mel slumped and Victor patted her head, "Melly here never liked rain ever since we were on the streets the poor thing…" she slapped his hands away, looking embarrassed. "She hates being cold and wet…"

"Yea can we do the pillow fight thing?" Jean raised his hand.

"No because that was a joke," Garmadon pointed to him. "If you wanna stay in here then fine, but you have to sleep because we will have classes tomorrow… understood?"

They all hung their heads and groaned loudly. "He is such a stick in the mud! Right kids?" Misako walked back in and threw down a bunch of pillows and comforters. "Make yourselves comfortable…"

Garmadon followed her this time though, "Misako… I really don't think this will go over well…"

Misako frowned, looking back at the kids. "Your father didn't love you the way your mother did so don't make the same mistake by not paying attention them… okay?"

"I know…" he sighed when she lowered her hand. "And you're right… I'm just afraid I won't get any sleep at all… what if they get up in the middle of the night and play games or…" he straightened up. "I hear laughter…" he quickly turned on his heel and went right back into his room to find they were smacking each other with the pillows.

"Mickey! Nat! Down!" Mel tugged them both down with her and the pillow flew right over them and of course, hit Garmadon instead. She looked back and uneasily laughed. "Hi?"

He was silent for a minute as if debating a punishment for them. Garmadon reached down and picked up the pillow, looking at it and then back at the others. "Most of you think that I'm no fun it seems…" he started. "Just because I'm not as young as any of you doesn't mean I can't do this," he launched it back at Arnold who threw it in the first place.

The younger ones roared with laughter and a pillow war commenced.

* * *

><p>Lloyd opened one green eyed tiredly, hearing a loud ruckus. At first he was afraid that he overslept and it was the kids carrying on during a lesson outside. He followed the sound to his parent's room where; to his surprise, he found his parents and all the kids playing around.<p>

"Lloyd! Come on!" Misako waved with a laugh.

He was stunned at first because he never saw them like this. A smile spread across his tired face though and he snatched a pillow, repeated hitting Mel in the face and brought it around to give Richie and Chase a walloping for payback from the other day when he was repeated dunked in the water by the two of them.

Some of the younger ones started losing energy and then the older ones not long after because it was getting too late for them. It was around two in the morning when the two got them all down, even Lloyd. "I suppose… we can take a day off tomorrow… they look tired…" he sighed, feeling tired too.

"At least they aren't scared of a little thunder anymore… in fact they've forgotten all about it…" Misako chuckled and decided to find an empty space by Lloyd amongst the many bodies that was their kids.

Garmadon dropped down too by her and felt Camilla and Emily shift a little and pulled the blankets more over for them because Jean and Donnie were hogging them. "Still afraid of the storm girls?" he asked the little girl with dark skin and hair, putting an arm around her and the much smaller one.

"No… not anymore…" Camilla smiled.

He expected they would drift off but Emily crawled a little closer and went to say something else, "I love you… dad…"

It was the first time he heard it from any of them in the short months. He was surprised by it. She was the youngest and the most timid, even shy around Misako. Suddenly she felt so comfortable. He felt like it took forever to respond to her, "I love you too Emmie…" he smiled at her sleepy face.

**That's right I just melted your hearts? Okay I think I need some time without these little brats in the spotlight XD They're just too addicting though to write... **

**My brother looked at this chapter before I finalized what I was going to post and he was like "Ya know... it reminds me of Sound of Music..." So I switched some more dialogue and... who am I kidding it's still like it...**

**Thanks for reading...**

**~Mar**


	14. Chapter 14

A moment's peace was always a rare time for the married couple. This was when the students were in bed or at least, chatting up a storm and pretending to be asleep in their dorms. It was basically the only time they had alone together anymore since the students were basically their own children now and thus a full time responsibility.

It was amazing how two months could change people. Lloyd enjoyed being an older brother to the kids and she loved having another go at being a mom. Garmadon, she didn't exactly know how he felt but she knew he loved each one of those kids like they were his own though he probably had yet to show it in front of everyone. And after the night of that storm, they seemed even closer than when they all first met.

Wu was right, he felt alone so he felt like he had to help other kids who were alone…

"What're thinking about?" Misako came out of her thoughts as she felt like falling asleep.

"It's nothing…" she pulled up the blanket up to her chin, feeling cold. "I'm just tired from today is all…" she wiped one eye from under the blanket, yawning. "You know how Chase and Jean like to stir up trouble with Arnold and all…"

"Mm," was his only response as he nuzzled the side of her face.

She chuckled a little, "We're so busy and in a rush during the day we're too tied to actually talk and stuff at night," she rested her head against his shoulder, yawning again.

"I don't know about being too tired…" he kissed her cheek. She felt their feet brush each other and she quietly laughed. "I think I just need to relax is all…" his hand brushed under her nightshirt making her blush and laugh again.

"I couldn't agree more…" she kissed him, lacing her fingers through his messy dark gray hair.

Half the time they fell asleep before anything close to being romantic like that could happen. After a few minutes however, they started dozing off, twisted around each other, snuggling together.

Morning came too early; especially a Monday one. The sun sent beams of light through the drapes that were never shut all of the way. The two crankily buried their heads under their comforter and cuddled closer together since there was a chill in the air. Neither cared about teaching today, they wanted to sleep for another week.

Then the faint beeping of a fire alarm started going off and Misako sat up abruptly when her head poked out from under her comforter, "I smell something burning," she threw the comforters off before her husband had a chance to even respond to her concerned voice or the beeping alarm.

She stopped when she got to the kitchen, a hand over her chest, feeling a bit more relieved; "Morning mom!" Lloyd looked back from the small spray of ice he just made.

She wiped her face, shaking her head with a heavy sigh. "Lloyd…" she leaned against the wall, "What are you doing?" she felt exhausted again, she didn't want to have responsibility for just one day.

"I was trying to make pancakes because the others wanted them," the blonde sheepishly grinned. "I guess it didn't end up too well…"

"Why didn't you just wake me up if you guys were hungry?!" she looked at the wall and nearly had a heart attack when she saw the clock which now read eleven o'clock am. "Oh gosh I overslept… I'm so sorry Lloyd…" She now felt guilty.

Garmadon on the other hand was still thinking this was a code red alert when he slid out in his pajamas, looking more panicky than Misako first did. "Where's the fire!? Get everyone out! I bet it was Mel!" he babbled, still looking tired.

His wife and son were just staring at him in silence and he closed his mouth, "It's… ahem…" he coughed, "it wasn't a big deal was it?" The two shook their heads and he just nodded, "Ah… yea… okay…" he nodded more, not saying anything.

"Is there a fire!?" The others looked inside; not that much panicked because they had a feeling it was all taken care of.

"Everything is fine!" Misako held her hands up before anyone else could ask if there was a fire. "Lloyd took care of it and we're fine…" she looked back at the ice, "If you wanna eat, you need to clean that mess up for me sweetie…"

Lloyd walked back over and raised a hand, a small flame igniting, "No probs mom-"

"NO!" the others shouted and Garmadon immediately sprayed his son with the fire extinguisher at the first sight of the little spark, leaving the teenager in a startled daze, face covered in foam. The others started laughing at the blank expression on the green eyed ninja's face. "What made you think that would be a good idea?" his father started to try and hold back laughter.

Lloyd coughed, "I… yea that probably also wouldn't have been very smart would it?"

Garmadon shook his head and set the red can down, looking back at the kids, "Okay guys, upstairs to start your work while Misako remakes breakfast". They all groaned, trudging upstairs to the training hall, the old man following them. "Lloyd; you as well please".

His son slowly trailed along behind him, afraid of what he would make the wild children do the poor teenager still in his pajamas. He prayed it would not be an unevenly teamed dodge ball game or being the practice dummy for flying kicks. The younger kids he didn't mind because it felt like nothing; it was Victor, Torrin, Mel, Jean, and Chase he hated being kicked around by.

"Honey… Go easy on him, he was just trying to help me because we slept in," Misako tried not laugh at her husband's semi devious expression.

"I'll try my best," he smirked. "But I can't make any promises…" he looked back when he started up the steps, "What punishment do you think will be suitable for trying to burn my monastery down? Death by bamboo staffs or melee of the fourteen wooden swords?"

"Whatever you think is best dear," Misako leaned against the wall. "Just get it on tape". She winked.

Ah what an interesting day this started out to be for the two.

**I figured, "Hmmmm, do the romantic chapter now? Or later? Meh screw it let's almost burn down the house!" wow this is how I think...**

**Poor Lloyd, but he's the golden ninja, not the cooking ninja, Lloyd; save that one for your mother or Zane please. And melting ice with your flame powers is also probably not all that smart but then again you're like twelve. **

**The next one's also gonna be funny but I might have a second segment where I finally through back the romantic fluff like in the beginning. I get so caught up with the family relationship and the kids... just like me to do that... but ya know, it's also them learning to live in a new environment so I ain't worried one bit. **

**Thanks for reading! I'll hopefully get more updates in this week and get this one finished by Christmas! See ya later!**

**~Mar**


	15. Chapter 15

"Every week it's something new that has to be fixed…" Garmadon sighed as he tried to remove the glass pane that had a new shattered hole in it. "I swear their still stealing from us… just with a new angle to it," he looked back. "And I'm the one stuck fixing everything…"

His wife laughed, "Well Lloyd did offer to help you in case you forgot…" she reminded him kindly.

The one up on the ladder shook his head, "No, he relies on the golden powers a little too much… it's how he's been fixing all of his problems lately it seems…" he sighed and held his hand out, "Got the new pane?"

"Yea… ya ready to put it in?" Misako lifted the piece of glass, still with a smile.

He certainly woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, especially when he heard the glass shatter and saw the kickball come rolling through the living room. Misako thought he would have had a cow. She was impressed he didn't shout at them or kicked them all back inside their dorms. No, instead, they were being kept busy with mopping the training room up.

* * *

><p>"This sucks…" Natalie puffed; she and the other girls were looking back at the boys who were in their own little cluster working. "Not to mention it's Isaiah's fault we're all in trouble…"<p>

"Mel threw the ball too hard!" the dirty blonde angrily shouted back. "I wasn't about to take a hit to the stomach like that!"

The older two kids laugher, "Well you have enough padding you protect you Zay…" Victor looked back at the boys. The boy with the glasses glared back at the two. Mel and Victor were lounging on the side as they normally did while watching the others.

"You gonna help or what guys?!" Torrin scrunched her nose from the smell of the cleaning fluid they were spraying on the mats.

"We're supervising," Victor lounged back more, crossing his leg over his knee, glancing away from the younger boy he just insulted. "Someone has to make sure you're doing the work correctly!"

The others just shook their heads; they knew if they got into yet another fight and broke something probably important, Garmadon would probably make them clean out the Ultra Dragon's keep. All of them collectively shuddered as they shared that same thought; they did not want to have to get forced to do that one.

"Can't you ever pull your own weight guys?" Richie looked at the oldest two. He, Donnie, Arnold, and Camilla didn't know them as long as the others knew each other so naturally, they didn't exactly get along all that well. They were all from foster care while the rest were on the street, pick pocketing and such.

"Make us! I pulled my weight around for years!" Mel folded her arms, glaring at the eleven year old in hope he would back off as normal.

"Oh I'll make you!" Arnold stomped over, holding his disgusting mop head out at her. The brunette with the freckles hid behind Victor who tried shoving her in front of him. That's when Donnie and Richie started in on it as well.

Victor's eyes shifted and he stole the mop from Jean and held it out at ready, like a fencing match. "Come and get me you runt!" And the three boys lunged.

* * *

><p>"Let's see how long it takes to break something else after this…" Garmadon sighed, discarding the old pane of glass in the trash bin and putting the ladder away. A crash was heard and a mop landed on the ground, just missing the couple. "Of course…" he groaned. "Just… I…" he looked up and saw the new broken window. "Why do I bother?" He saw a second fall and the third was precariously balancing on the ledge high above.<p>

* * *

><p>All eleven peeked out of the window to see the man that cared for them pretty much collapse at the sight of yet another busted window. The kids looked at one another and then back at Victor and Arnold who slumped down. "Well I can honestly say this one wasn't my fault… which is pretty surprising for a change…" Mel and the others nodded.<p>

"Let's be happy it didn't actually hit him…" Isaiah bit his lip, looking back out. His hand barely brushed the mop handle.

"Come on, let's just get inside-!"

Everyone was back looking out the window again. "IT WAS ZAY!" they all screamed and went to hide as the chubbier boy looked back at the now empty room and back out the window, not sure what to do now.

* * *

><p>"It's like the gods are testing my patience everyday…" Garmadon growled as he dried his hair off. "Disgusting…" he tried not to look mad. "Who knew what that thing must have cleaned up…" he was still shuddering at the thought and sat down on the edge of the bed.<p>

"Just relax… you're clean now and Lloyd fixed the other window…" his wife tried flattening down his dark gray hair now a mess and sticking up a little. "Now get dressed… you need a break…" she told him.

"Get dressed for what?" he frowned.

"We're going out and you're going to like it…" she was pulling a shirt and pair of pants out and threw it at him. "You stay cooped up at this monastery all the time and think you have to watch the kids like a hawk…"

"Scuse you, last time we went on a date for the whole night, Lloyd lost the kids in the woods!" he tried to remind her, "I don't want them getting into any trouble!"

His wife rolled her head back, she looked more tired than usual, "Honey… come on…" she shook her head a little. "I know they're like our own kids… but I'm your wife… we never really get to do anything since you came back…"

He shook his head, leaning forward before standing up. "Well then… we can't go out tonight but maybe this Friday…" he told her. She raised an eyebrow curiously. "For now I think we can do something I'm sure you'll be interested in…"

* * *

><p>Lloyd walked down the hall with a few of the other kids following him around, same as normal. It was now dark out and he was going to bring them over to the dorms. "Hey… what's that noise going from their room?" Donnie frowned, looking at the shut door.<p>

The green eyed ninja walked a little closer and then his eyes widened and he started pushing the kids along quickly, "It's nothing, you're hearing things…" he said.

"But I wanna say goodnight-!" Emily and her brother looked back.

"Their asleep already…" Lloyd rolled his eyes and picked her and Brian up when they were in the living room. "Now come on already, it's like eleven and ninja need their sleep!" he smiled at them. _"That could have been bad…"_ He tried not to laugh a little.

**I know I'm like, totally hysterical. Hahaha... ha... yea I'm so lame *hangs head***

**Wow only like 5 more chapters left... dayum... that went fast... faster than Simple Things... BTW I got a guitar today, my very own... posted on instagram I was thinking of naming it, but was half joking but my friend Ellie gave me a very interesting name... it was so long though I can't recall the whole thing... I was thinking Lewis (because of Mystery Skulls and I'm learning how to play it) or maybe an SNK name...**

**That's not important now though... Thank you for reading! :D **

**~Mar**


	16. Chapter 16

The couple stood around fifteen feet apart from looking at the group of kids that were watching on, excited to see what was going to happen. Lloyd had been in and out of home, flying all over Ninjago to go and see every town and then some who wanted to personally thank him and or give him awards for saving the country and for his bravery so it had just been his parents and the kids lately.

Tonight, after many a request, the two decided to demonstrate to the kids with each other as an opponent instead of just a regular instruction time like what Garmadon normally did with them. Garmadon wasn't all too fond of having to fight his wife, but sort of knew the kids wanted to actually see things play out… maybe this was like their nightly entertainment.

"Okay well, tonight, since you all kept asking… you're going to learn and see at first hand that you don't need a sword to win a fight," Garmadon addressed them. "I know you all think because you're a ninja, means you always have some arsenal of amazing weapons… well maybe sometimes you will if you go in prepares to a job… but sometimes you need to make do when you get weapons taken away or are in a everyday situation and there is not your custom sword on hand…"

He looked hard at the older ones because that part was meant mainly for them. "…And sometimes…" he held out his seven foot staff, "It requires a big stick like this to defeat your enemy". Some of the younger ones laughed and Misako just stood, smiling at their reactions and anticipation. "Remember, you won't be using a staff this big because you're all a lot shorter than I am…" he looked directly at Mel who seemed to want to use the giant stick to smack her brothers around with. "So tonight," he started again, "Misako will be my enemy". He looked back at his wife with a smile as the youngest ones giggled at the idea.

"I mean… not like she was ever his enemy at one point, I heard from Lloyd about the Dark Island!" Chase whispered but was met with the very long staff banging him in the head. "OUCH!"

"That is one way children, the element of surprise, a long staff in the right hands can also be good for reach" Garmadon retracted the staff and smiled as he continued giving a lesson. "Close your mouth, and open your ears…" he told them.

Misako held a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing at the poor boy and Garmadon's response to his cry of pain; it seemed to be his newest little saying for them whenever they had a lesson. He was certainly an interesting teacher for them; he really was coming along nicely as a one too, something she was very proud of him for doing.

He turned back once the laughing fits subsided and she slid her feet apart on the wood floor in a ready stance. "Now take note her perfect stance of balance".

"Come on and try and hit me already you ol' kiss up," she laughed gesturing to come at her. They started towards each other and he slammed the staff down, stubbing her bare foot. "OW!" she yelped. "You said no low shots!" she glared at him, forgetting the lesson.

"I have no idea what you're talking about my love…" he took two steps back. "Now notice how I antagonize," he looked back again.

"That's it…" she went for the charge forward, but his staff was at a slant in his tight grip and she tripped over, trying not to fall forward but instead, her elbow hooked up, slamming into the side of his face when he lunged to try and grab her from falling, instead, she knocked him back as well. "Oh my gosh…" she landed on her knees more gently than he did on his butt and all the kids blurted out in uncontrolled laughter, as they did when anybody got hurt.

"I'm fine…" he turned away quickly, face turning red, probably from embarrassment.

"I'm so sorry…" she tried not to laugh as well, trying to see the damage, "Come here, let me see where I hit you-"

"I said I'm fine!" he held a hand over the area that would probably start to swell soon. "Lesson over!" he practically ran out to find an ice pack, dropping the staff.

* * *

><p>Not long after Misako found him sitting on the edge of their bed, holding an ice pack to his face. "I'm sorry…" she gave a smile and sat down next to him, hugging him tightly. "Come on… let me see it…" she forced his hand from the area she hit though he put up a little bit of a fight.<p>

"Well?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well…" she started. "I made quite the mark…" she chuckled, brushing the sore spot over. "Next time you shouldn't be a wise guy…" she kissed the swollen area. "Then again… I think I missed your snarky attitude…"she ruffled his hair. "Now come on, I made tea…" she looked back, "Unless you're too afraid to have the kids see you with that nasty bruise?"

"Nah…" he got up. "I'm not afraid of them," he smiled and walked out with her.

**I originally did a comic which is what this whole chapter was based on... poor Garmadon... even as a old peace lovin hippie you're still snarky and cool...**

**Thanks for reading :)**

**~Mar**


	17. Chapter 17

"EEEEH!" the girls were running around and screaming as they ran into the living room of the first floor where Garmdon was having a peaceful nap on the couch since it was a Saturday and the kids would not have any classes.

Lloyd was gone again for the day and by this, his parents were left alone to keep the kids in order, or at least make sure they wouldn't cause too much trouble. "Girls?!" he snapped awake, afraid they were being attacked or something else along those lines. "What is it!? Are you bleeding? Is there an axe wielding maniac in the house?!"

The six girls were quickly shaking their heads quickly, still looking scared. He raised an eyebrow because they weren't talking. "Well!?"

"Oh… yea" Torrin blinked. "THE BOYS PUT A RAT IN OUR ROOMS!" she shouted again, making him jump from the harsh tone.

Garmadon wiped his face, not believing this one. The boys and girls always got at each other… but… releasing a rat on them? He felt that nasty temper boiling over as he got up with the girls clustered behind him, marching right up to the boy's rooms; more confident they had him on their side for this round. "Open up…" he sounded surprising in control of his anger.

"SHIT!" Victor hissed from the other side of the door. More thumping and such started coming from inside and the door opened. "Hello," the oldest boy gave a smile. He looked at Mel though who was glaring from behind their guardian. "Hehe… what brings you to our humble little dorm _sensei_?"

"Get the rat out of their room right now," Garmadon had a dead pan look on his face, not going to put up with any side crap. "Or I shall make you clean out the dragon keep out back…"

"Pfft, I think we'd rather clean out the keep than this one!" the boys laughed.

Without another word Garmadon quickly tossed them a pair of shovels and trash bags, "Good because, Lloyd hasn't gotten to it in about… two weeks, it'll be perfect for the eight of you". The seven younger boys glared at Victor, "You can get some goggles by the shed if you wish. Oh and there are also gloves".

Once they all were gone he let out a sigh, "I figured I'd have to do this anyways…" he looked back at the girls. "Come on ladies…" he walked next door and the door creaked as he tried to open it slowly. All seven peered inside, some with brooms in their hands.

"Here's the plan," he looked back. "We're going to be ninjas hunting down our enemy," he held a finger to his lips to signal them to be quiet and the six nodded. "Now… listen… do you hear it?" they left the door open so they could all chase it out when it revealed itself.

They just stood round, listening for wood being scratched or the squeak of their prey. "Michaela looked under her bed and gasped, "HERE!" she hissed.

"Kay Mickey… now step back… we don't want it biting anyone…" Garmadon took the broom from Emily and Camilla who hid behind him. Mel and Torrin had there's at ready though they were shaking.

Garmadon shifted the bed a little and the rodent scurried out from under the bed and in Mel's direction who quickly abandoned her broom to jump on her sister's bed while squealing. "GET IT GET IT!" she tried not to scream it completely. "I always hated rats when we were in the alleyways!" she cried, covering her face.

Natalie picked the older one's up and started trying to thwack it with Torrin, almost like a game of whack-a-mole Garmadon tried to sweep it out, not exactly wanting to hurt it even though it was scaring his girls. It screeched louder and finally the old man smacked it right out of the room and they shut the doors, sliding to the floor, heavily breathing.

"G-good job girls…" he rested the broom back against the wall. "Nice… work…"

"Thanks…" Mel collapsed on the bed.

* * *

><p>The seven were sitting around the living room together shortly after they chased their terrorizing rodent away. "Some days I wish I still had my cat…" he said, looking down at Camilla and Natalie playing a board game. "She would have taken care of that rat for you before the boys even let it loose".<p>

"You had a cat?" Mel snorted. "Never pictured you being a pet guy…"

"Bought it for my wife when we were having Lloyd…" he frowned, "Wonder if she's still alive…" he looked around again, noticing there were just five girls now in the room. "Hey… Emi?" he asked, seeing she was the one that was missing.

"Emily!" Misako's voice came from down the hall. "Oh my gosh… where did you find that?!"

"Out back! I think she was chasing the rat we saw!" the little girl was holding a big black cat in her arms with an excited smile on her face. "Daddy! I found I kitty! Can I keep it!?" she laughed and plopped the big animal down. It meowed and looked at Garmadon expectantly.

"Oh my gods…" he stared at the black, fluffy creature with round eyes, one blue; one green.

"You don't think…" Misako looked down as well. She bent over and frowned, looking at the eyes as well. "Nina?" it meowed at the sound of the name.

"After all these years she came around!?" Torrin's mouth dropped. "That's so awesome!"

Nina lazily yawned as everyone talked about her and the girls stroked her sleek head and back. She seemed to be looking around for someone else, "Lloyd's not here now… but I'm certain you wouldn't have recognized him anyways… the last time you saw him… he was just a baby…" Garmadon chuckled and scratched right behind her left ear.

* * *

><p>Arnold, Jean, and Chase flopped on the floor, "Way to go… we got in trouble…"<p>

"And we didn't even want part in it!" Richie, Donald, and Brian glared at the other five who thought their little prank was funny to pull.

"I'm going to take a bath! And I thought I'd never say that again!" Isaiah cried, ignoring the other boys. "Who's with me?" he sat down on the floor, trying not to breathe through his nose as everyone backed away from him. He may or may not have fallen into a pile of dragon dung.

"Yea I guess so in a minute…" Donald nodded with a yawn, lying back on his bed. A squeaking sound was heard and he turned his head, face paling at the sight of a long, skinny tail sticking out from the pillows on the bed. "RAT!"

The boys started running out of the house, yelling 'rat' at the top of their lungs. Garmadon, Misako, and the girls turned their heads to see the boys running around like mad men and Nina jumped down to go after her new prey.

"Nina! NO!" Emily shouted, chasing the cat with Camilla and Michaela. "THEY DESERVE TO BE CHASED BY A RAT!" The other three went outside as well to watch the fun.

"So funny how a couple of months ago Lloyd was asking the same thing," she frowned. "About the cat I mean," she then smiled. "I'm happy she found her way back," Misako hugged him tightly. "I… kind of like all of the chaos… in… a… good way I guess".

"If you like a bunch of kids tearing this place up," he kissed her. "I think one day, we just need to pedal all of them off on my brother so I can get some alone time with you…" she kissed him again after he said that one.

"Come on… before the girls chase Nina away and the rat comes in here…" they quickly ran outside to see if the cat had been let loose on the poor rat who was stuck in the middle of war between the children.

**I figured: Hey what's a good situation to happen!? Oh yea... A RAT! :D Why? Because this one time a skink got in my house and it was both terrifying and hysterical to watch my gran, a like... 92 year old lady come down with the broom and kicked it out of the front door while my mom, brother, and I ran our rooms so it wouldn't get in there.**

**And a good excuse to bring back everyone's favorite kitty as was featured in later chapters of Simple Things! **

**I am so happy this is almost over ;-; I mean... it's really fun but it needs to come to a close in around three chaps... next one though is gonna be a bit longer and I have most of it planned out... prepare for Garmadon and Misako to go all parental and all that good stuff. **

**Thanks for reading! Ayyy, I can't believe Christmas is almost here! BTW...**

**~Mar**


	18. Chapter 18

At long last there came an excuse to be alone, their thirty fourth wedding anniversary. Lloyd left for another city that he would be staying overnight in and the other ninja and Wu let the kids sleep over at the school so the two would have the place to themselves; something that hadn't happened in around four months, maybe longer... they started to lose track of time since they became swamped with taking care of them.

They could go out without worrying about the place being a wreck and the kids gone missing. They could come home and be alone without kids spying on them or interrupting in any way at all… not to mention the hazard of the young ones seeing them in positions the two would rather them never see.

There was just one problem amongst all of the fortunate upsides to it being just the two of them…

Garmadon sat almost stiffly with his wife leaning against his side. They had just gotten back home and it was now dead silence between the two unlike earlier when they were out, which wasn't completely un-normal nowadays... but Misako kept looking awkward as he kept silent.

"I… guess I'll get ready for bed then…" she got up after a few minutes.

Before she turned all the way around Garmadon saw her frown slightly and sighed. "Well my social skills seem to suck… now don't they?" he looked at the cat on the floor in front of him. "What do you think Nina?" he leaned on the armrest.

The black cat with the dual colored eyes looked up with drooping lids. "Murrrow" she meowed and plopped her head back down on the carpet between her paws.

"Some help you are…" he looked away. "Think I should give it to her now or...?" he asked Nina again, trailing off. She mewed, jumping into his lap and trying to claw at the shiny object tucked away in her owner's pocket. "No… no, not for you mess up… this was kind of pricey for it to be a cat toy…" he pulled her away from the coat pocket and scratched behind her head. "Go on into your cat tree". Garmadon finally pushed her off of him.

He trudged down the hall and just opened the door. His wife turned around, almost startled as she pulled down her shirt over the waistband of her sweatpants. "Oh; hey".

"Yea…" he walked over and pulled her close, kissing the top of her head. "I figured you expected I didn't get you anything… right?" he asked her.

Misako raised an eyebrow, suspiciously as to what was coming next.

"Happy anniversary my love," he pulled out a pendant on a silver chain.

Her emerald eyes widened, really surprised by it. "What… where did this come from!?" her mouth dropped, "Oh gosh is that real diamond with an onyx?"

"Oh don't act so surprised; like I ever bought you fake stuff," her husband rolled his eyes, pretending to be hurt. "And yea… custom made… Kai sort of hooked me up with someone in his hometown… where did you think I disappeared to last month?" he chuckled and hooked it around her neck then pulled out a second one, "And I have the matching half…"

She examined the diamond half and then looked at his Onyx half. "Wait… aren't these… your parents'? Or… they at least resemble them… with the Yin and Yang symbol and all that…"

"Well… I may or may not have had them… specially restored… Wu found them in my dad's old room after he started the ninja team and was one of the things he salvaged after the Hypnobrai burned that old place down… sort of why I had them inlayed with diamond and onyx…" he scratched the back of his head. "Do… do you like it?" he looked hesitant.

"I love it you dummy," she laughed and hugged him tightly. "I take it this one was your father's? The white half?" She then slipped his half over his head for him.

Garmadon nodded, "Naturally… you were always the good one… the light side, like him"

"And you're good too," she kissed him. "Now change and maybe we can watch a movie…" Misako laughed. Nina waddled in through the half shut door and the green eyed woman scooped her up as she walked outside into the living room.

The two curled up next to each other under a couple of blankets, still wearing the pendants over their pajamas. Garmadon silently looked over and traced a hand down her leg and wrapped an arm around her waist. His wife's eyes side glanced at him but he looked away and didn't look back. Misako then leaned more against him, shifting her arm as discreetly as possible, upping the ante a little more than what he thought she was going for and brushed his crotch.

He nearly jumped off the couch because of that and she laughed, covering her mouth as his face turned bright red. "You look redder than a cherry honey… why is that?" Oh great, now she was being all coy.

"You… you know what you did…" he mumbled as she tried not to laugh again. "I know it was on purpose…"

"Oh what's that?" she turned her body around, pressing against him. "Are you afraid of something or are you being your normal flustered, reformed self?" He tried to look away. "The kids aren't here to disrupt us in the slightest you know…"

He was probably sweating and she smiled seeing him embarrassed. Sure they had sex here and there, they missed eight years of their lives so why not? It wasn't unnatural for him… maybe it was the way she could be so… aloof about it…

"I… it's just…" they were practically nose to nose and there he went again, getting lost in those green eyes she had under the lenses of her glasses and stuttering like he didn't know how to talk again.

She continued to smile and shook her head, kissing his nose. She leaned against him so much he fell back on the couch, tangled up in the blankets. "I love you honey…" she nuzzled closer to him. "I'm happy you're here…"

"I'm… I'm happy too…" he nodded, burying his face in her neck, combing a hand through her long gray hair. "I'll do it… only if you wanna…"

A meow was heard and the both looked at one another, then the cat who was sitting on the side table, staring at them. Shortly after, Nina got up and pattered out of the room as if giving her approval like she was his mother or something.

"Well…" Misako looked down with a chuckle, "Happy anniversary…" she seated herself up on his crotch, straddling him down around the waist with her knees.

He pulled her face down, sucking her into a long kiss Mel and the other boys would deem "Disgusting beyond belief".

"I think we need to peddle the kids off on my brother more often…" he started slipping her shirt off her head.

"I can get use to this all over again I think…" she laughed.

**Just to say... why do you think Jay got the idea back in the Christmas story about getting Nya the pendant from Garmadon? Lolz, chicks love matchy stuff. If I ever get a boyfriend, we're totally getting the "Meister" and "Weapon" Soul Eater bracelets... just sayin XD**

**Oh gosh I kept saying I would have to do a gushy lovey chapter with the two because it really has been a while... I would pry be in Garmadon's position... any sign of being sexual and I can turn brighter than a cherry... oh gosh who am I kidding... I did while writing this chapter XD **

**Well... one more chapter I am sorry to say... I have something really good planned for it though that shall surely break you tiny hearts if you really do get feels like you say when you read my stuff... I'm happy to get this one out of the way XD **

**Thanks for reading! I really appreciate it!**

**~Mar**


	19. Chapter 19

There was a knock at the door. The first to answer was Jean and Chase, hoping it would be Lloyd or maybe some of his friends dropping by for a visit. They unlocked it and had hopeful smiles that quickly dropped when they saw the woman in the doorway in the neat looking gray suit.

"Jean and Chase? Is that you?"

The brothers almost went pale, slamming the door right in her face and running through the bottom floor, screaming at the tops of their lungs. Naturally Garmadon and Misako thought they were just causing pandemonium amongst the other kids and tried to calm them down before anything began.

"What's going on!? What havoc are you two causing this time?" Garmadon watched them run in circles. This was different now, it wasn't their usual chaos; this was really them freaking out, in the negative sense anyways. "Jean!? Chase? What's wrong?" he tried asking them, looking more concerned this time.

"Oh hell…" Chase stopped and Jean bumped his backside, still ignoring Garmadon's question, "Where's Mel!?"

"What?" she frowned; walking downstairs; "Did someone knock? It might be Lloyd!" she went to touch the doorknob but her brothers waved their arms and shook their heads. "Guys! What is it!?" she shouted at them, opening the door slowly. "You two are so annoying-"

"Mel it's the she-devil!" Jean blurted out.

"Oh gosh Melanie; look at you!" Mel looked like she almost had a heart attack and she looked back at the door. "I missed you guys so much!" the fifteen year old immediately backed away as if the woman's touch was a deadly poison. "I'm here to take you guys home!"

"Mandy…" the freckled teen whispered. She looked sick to her stomach and she bolted from the room, her brothers raced up stairs to find their brother and other sisters to warn them.

Garmadon and Misako looked a little confused at one another. "Oh gosh she's a handful and always was…" the woman named Mandy shook her head and tutted. "Seems she didn't change after so long of not seeing her…"

"I'm sorry," Misako folded her arms and pressing her lips together, "But who are you exactly?" she raised an eyebrow, trying to sound nice about it.

"Mandy Brookestone," she extended a hand, "Their step-mother". Garmadon and Misako stared at her, not returning her friendly gesture and she retracted it just as quickly with a condescending look on her pinched features. "And how about you two?" she asked. "Who are you that you have all these kids here like this?"

Garmadon glanced back at his wife before stepping up to question this woman further. "I don't know how you found this place being I didn't advertise my services but you can't just-"

"Oh and I don't want to talk to you; you're Lord Garmadon; right?" Mandy raised an eyebrow. "What you're doing alive, gods will only know but you can't be up to good being all the way out here like this…"

He started feeling a little mad at her for talking to him in such a way but to further prove he was different, he didn't address it. "I'm going to find Mel…" he withheld any outburst and went back to where she ran off to.

"Her name is Melanie thank you," Mandy corrected him which made him walk away faster. "Mel… that's not even a lady like name…" she scrunched her noses in disgust. Mandy turned back to Misako. "So… what is the deal here?"

* * *

><p>"Mel?" Garmadon looked around in every back room. He then her whimpering and found her in the big hall closet. "Oh gosh Mel…" he found her balled up and shaking, something of which she never did.<p>

She looked up, wiping one eye, "Are you gonna let her take me away!?" she croaked.

He blinked, still surprised to see her like that, then shook his head, "I… of course not! How could she get a hand on you or the others?" he knelt down in front of her, wiping her dripping tears away like she was one of the younger ones.

"You don't know her like I do…"

* * *

><p>"A… government worker… uh-huh" Misako slowly said; trying to understand what was going on. "And why do you have to barge in like this and talk my husband in such a rude manner?" she narrowed her eyes.<p>

"I have a right when they're my children," the other woman held a hand to her chest, claiming ownership of the kids. "As for the others, six of the seven have been runaways from foster care and one is a juvenile convict".

That one threw Misako off guard, "I knew some ran away from foster care because of abuse… but a convict!?"

"A Torrin Sylvester? Brown hair, green eyes…?" Mandy asked further. "Oh I know she's here," she rolled her own hazel ones. "I'm taking all of them right now so it's regardless what you and that idiot you married thinks-"

Misako looked more pissed off now, "Just because my husband has taken an oath of peace does not mean I am exempt from fighting," she clenched a fist, trying not to raise it, but ready at any given moment to throw one at her. "You have no business taking them away… and you have no business calling Garmadon an idiot!"

* * *

><p>All of the kids were now hiding in the big closest with Mel and Garmadon. "Mandy is controlling… she gets her way and the only reason she's back is because dad's dead and she has rightful guardianship over us…" Mel growled angrily. "She just…" she held her face in her hands, hiccupping.<p>

The others started crying too. "I don't wanna be taken by the mean lady…" Emily and Brian hugged Garmadon too. "Daddy don't let her take us…" Emily sobbed.

There was that word they used again. Mel never said anything about their family other than what she had told Lloyd not long after they first met but he knew he now had a duty to them.

They started hearing the raised voices from Mandy and Misako and how she was insulting him. "That man has killed and harmed people of Ninjago for almost a decade! He shouldn't be in charge of a home for kids! Technically speaking he stole these kids from other assigned caregivers!"

"Garmadon?" Mel looked up after she heard her step-mother start shouting those things. She sniffed and tugged at his sleeve when he lowered his head. "Hey… she's… she's lying… you're not bad…"

"But she isn't wrong… I did… I killed people… I tried to hurt my son and his friends… threatened Misako…"

He felt them the kids hug them tightly. "I was a bad kid too…" Torrin squeezed her eyes shut. "I'm only a juvenile convict because I lived with my crazy uncle who shot up a place once… he had given me this little gun… I was eight… when he started popping people off… I got scared and my finger slipped when it was aimed at him…" she wiped an eye. "I killed someone too and he was family… even if I saved people I was taken in… when they finally gave me up to some foster place I took off…"

"Well I killed people on purpose… I actually enjoyed it at one point…" Garmadon sighed.

* * *

><p>"You can't just take them from him!" Misako shouted back. "He loves those kids more than you could ever know! I don't care if you're here to do that… but you're not getting past me!" Misako took a fighting stance.<p>

"You're going to hit me now?" the red head folded her arms, popping a hip to the side.

The green eyed woman nodded, "If you take one more step to that closet I will break your arm," she rolled her sleeves up her still defined arms. "I use to be the earth ninja… and I'm pretty sure I can still do it without breaking a sweat".

"I don't care about anything between you or them… they're coming along with me now".

"You we're not…" the two women looked behind them. The kids were standing in a group. "We're never going with you and back to those shitty lives we led…" Victor grimaced.

"What does shitty mean…?" Brian whispered to Natalie and Jean.

"Shh!" they held a hand to his mouth because Mel stepped up next. "And don't talk about either of them like they're under some kind of investigation… they've been better parents than you ever could hope to be…"

They heard the door slide open and Lloyd stuck his head, eyes wide at the obvious emotional confrontation that was going on in his house. "What the hell is going on here?"

"And who's that!?"

"Our biological son…" Misako answered. "Lloyd…"

"The golden ninja," Garmadon finished it off. "Being… the one who saved my life… and the entire population of Ninjago… including you… so how about you tell me now how we're unfit to look after kids?"

Lloyd stepped in more; feeling a little awkward about it all, "Uh… well I just got back from accepting that award down in Umibe… sooo…" Camilla, Richie, Emily, and Brian all ran up to him first, hugging him around the waist and legs.

"She wants to take us away…" Richie swallowed.

That was all Lloyd had to hear when he started glaring at Mandy. "No doubt harassing my parents; right!?" he mindlessly balled his fists up. They nodded.

"Just leave… okay? It wasn't Torrin's fault; she was a scared kid…" Garamdon stilled tried to be calm about it all unlike his wife and son. "The kids don't want foster care and Mel and the others don't wanna go with you… I'm going to officially adopt them and you are never going to show up here and given them stress and anxiety again…"

Mandy looked straight up, not really realizing the height difference of an entire foot.

A few moments later she glared at them and took several steps back, leaving.

It was almost like the air was thicker when she was in the room, now it was clear again and the kids nearly collapsed as they hugged the three older ninja. "Thank you…" Michaela breathed in relief.

"Oh come here…" Misako pulled her and Natalie in a tight hug. "No one's ever going to take you away… you're here forever…"

"… promise?" Mel quietly asked.

"Why wouldn't you believe us after everything?" Garmadon looked up from the boys that were hugging him to the fifteen year old standing by herself.

She crossed her feet looking down at the floor. "Because that's what my dad promised when Emily was born…"

Lloyd pulled her into a hug and then lightly nugied her, "You guys are a part of the family now, like you'll ever be thrown aside!" The freckled girl turned around and tackled Lloyd, messing up his hair too now starting to smile again with others.

"Come on… I think you guys all have had a bad day…" Misako picked up smallest ones while the others latched on to the two men. "I'll make you guys some cookies…" That seemed to make them feel better. "And… I'll have something for you tonight…" she whispered in her husband's ear before kissing his cheek.

Lloyd barely caught wind of the tone she said it in and his face turned red. "Lloyd… what's wrong with your face?" Donnie asked, curiously.

The blonde coughed, "I… it's nothing… come on, we can play eight way Fist to Face in my room for a while…" he started up the stairs.

**Okay okay... so like yea this chapter blah all over the place... I'm so dramatic in this one aren't I? It's all like "tralalala, happy fun times" until BAM; "BITCH YOU THOUGHT YOU'D SEEN THE LAST OF ME!"**

**And then it turns into some drama like "Yea I take you back now" and kids start crying and then Misako defends those brats and her stupid ass husband... and then Lloyd comes in and I literally almost did a three way Spinjitsu thing but figured that pry wouldn't be very good in the end... **

**I mean... NO ONE even theorizes the stories behind the kids Garmadon cares for at his place... so I'm totally going to have some fun with it if people think they're Mary-Sues or not hehe...**

**It is almost one am, I am so sorry if this a/n sounds stupid or hyper as you read it... but generally, yea I think my best lines was "It's the she-devil" like... that's what they called her when they were smaller...**

**So... all I have left is an epilogue... I'm so gonna lay on the sap and post it sometime later this morning, or just post it tomorrow if I can't finish writing it now... **

**thanks for reading! I think this is the longest chapter yet in this story XD**

**~Mar**


	20. Epilogue

"One… two…" Misako counted each head that was lying around on the floor, making sure none of them were up and wandering around the place or playing games in Lloyd's room. "Okay… fifteen…" she counted Lloyd who had Camilla and Richie on either side of him, peacefully sleeping. "Good… no one's missing for once…" She looked up, "And… now there's one more to count off…"

She found Garmadon outside on the small cliff face above the lake on his own. She looked out at what he was staring off at and turned back to him. "So… that's what Ninjago City looks like now…" he plainly said.

"Hard to believe the place is all rebuilt and wall to wall with neon lights and hover cars and…" Misako trailed off as they laced their hands together mindlessly. "Something's bugging you though… as usual… right?"

"What if this all backfires…? I don't mind technology… but… doesn't this seem like too much? What if… people like us are no longer needed? I suppose… the age of the ninja is finally done? After Lloyd saved me… is there any need?" Of course when he's all good again there was no purpose of him being a master of Spinjitsu if no one wanted it.

"Well; you do have a purpose… you love and teach those kids… even if there is no need for Spinjitsu… they'll carry on the legacy probably if they learn how to fight like a ninja… them and Lloyd, Jay, Kai, Cole, and Zane…"

He let out a sigh, "I know that… but still…" he frowned.

His wife leaned more against his side. He looked down at her standing beside him quietly. After all those years she was still his by choice. "Thank you…" he quietly said. She looked up at him with a confused frown. "Thanks… for… staying with me… It made the past months… easier… even when I thought you'd be happier with my brother…"

"No thanks is necessary…" she hugged him tightly. "I didn't marry you because I pitied you for being cursed or because I did to spite your dad or my parents… You were my best friend… and you still are…" she let go a little. "So why would drop out of a promise I made to you?" she looked at their wedding bands. "Everyone keeps saying how I chose you over Wu… when… I don't think I really did have a choice in my mind… I think it was always you"

He couldn't help but smile at that and he held her closer, "Especially in the beginning, I didn't think I deserved a new start…" he sat down on the edge. "Some days I wondered why I survived…" he remembered when the darkness cleared and how he wandered out of the rubble of the ultimate weapon.

"That one's an easy question…" he looked at her. "Because… you're a stubborn idiot…" she sat next to him with a joking smile. "You also made a promise the day before the wedding-"

"Yes yes… I remember the pile of sap that came out of my mouth that night…" he slouched forward, bringing his knees up; sort of becoming embarrassed at the memory of it.

"What was it you said?" she leaned closer, looking up like she was pretending to think about it, "We're going to be married tomorrow Mimi… that means we're going to live together on our own without any assistance from our parents… I'm going to do all I can to make you happy and for life to not suck…" she laughed after she said the last part.

"I was nineteen…"

"And that was the sweetest thing ever at the time…" she continued to smile. "And do you remember what I did when you were done going on about how you were to be my husband?" He raised an eyebrow and she sat up on her knees, wrapping her arms around his neck while his went around her waist without much thought to it and kissed him. "I did that…" she kissed his cheek a couple of times.

She was about to kiss him full on again but he sat back down once more, "I… uh…" he looked away, letting go of her. He looked back and saw her frown and he leaned back with the support of his arms, looking at the lake below, knowing he backed away from her love. "Do… you ever think things will return to normal for us? Completely I mean?" he turned his head to her.

"Maybe…" she shrugged. "I hope so… " He looked back. "Because I'm not sure why you keep shying away, it's kind of like you're playing hard to get on me," she chuckled. "You use to be all over me when we were younger… why all of a sudden you back out? Hmm?"

"Because I… oh gosh…" he glanced back at her, "My own thoughts… I guess…"

"Oh reeeally," she linked her arm around his, "You know… you can share any kinds of thoughts with me… I'd love to hear them…"

He looked down and laughed. "Yea… I bet you would…" he bopped her nose lightly, teasing her. "Luckily, you'll never get to hear what goes through my head when I look at you…" He gave her a quick kiss on the lips.

"We were really close… to the point of inseparableness…" she thought out loud, laying back in the grass, looking up at the clear sky. "Right now I'm not feeling the closeness…"

"I'm trying my best… because I want that too…" he laid back too so they were nose to nose when she turned on her side. "Don't forget it hasn't even been a year…" She just nodded quietly. There was a brief moment of silence as they looked at one another. "… I love you Misako…" he said out of nowhere.

"I love you too Garmadon…"

"Always?"

"Always…"

**Bam, all done... I like to picture them being sappy fools to each other. So... this concludes my twenty chapter tale... In coming 2015, there shall be a third that comes before this and the first one that I did!**

**Thank you so much for reading! See ya in another story!**

**~Mar**


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